


Grandmother's House

by JoeyPare



Series: LaFiamma! [2]
Category: Houston Knights
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 07:59:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 45,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14160288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeyPare/pseuds/JoeyPare
Summary: Joey decides to buy a house in Houston. What he discovers is .. the same house and address of his grandparents in Chicago. Not only the same house outside, but everything inside is an exact duplicate.*** This works was titled: Piranha =somehow the original became an Orphan.*** Continuation of - Not A Cop Anymore





	1. Two houses

 

Joey thanked the nurses as they walked his wheelchair back into the main entrance of the hospital. Turning he saw his partner, Levon Lundy, sprinting toward Guthrie’s white Lexus.

“You’re letting Lundy drive your Lexus? Hell, you don’t let me drive it. Something has definitely changed here.”

“We got to know each other over the last week. I told him you belonged to me and no one else… and he could enjoy John who, by the way, is extremely happy living on Levon’s ranch”

LaFiamma watched two cars enter the parking lot and come to a stop in front and in back of the Lexus as Levon parked in the circle drive.

“Okay Lee! What the hell have you done now? We have the FBI and HPD’s Fraud detectives here.”

LaFiamma moved off the Lexus to greet the Assistant FBI Director with a handshake and a slap on the shoulder. “Okay, Franklin, what brought you out of your office on a nice day like this?”

Franklin Montgomery laughed. “For one, Samantha wants an update on your health. I am beginning to believe what she says about you. You are indestructible. I’m looking for Colonel Guthrie.”

“I’m Guthrie.”

“I have a warrant for Nancy and Martin Chase. I was told they work for you.”

“I have employed Mr and Mrs Chase for three years. I couldn’t get along without them.”

“Well, for one. They are brother and sister not husband and wife. Two, they have worked for you the longest of anyone who has hired them. And three, everyone who has hired them has died of arsenic poisoning within days after they leave town…and all bank accounts were emptied. We have warrants for pre-meditated murder and embezzlement.”

“Hand me your phone!” Joey barked sharply into Lee’s face. Shaky hands lifted it from a buttoned pocket.

Stepping away from the car, Joe speed dialed Devlin.

“It’s Joey. Don’t say my name. Go into a secure area and let me know when you’re there.”

“We were just leaving the hospital when the FBI arrived. Nancy and Martin Chase are wanted for murder and embezzlement. Box up whatever she has put in the break room. All their victims died of arsenic poisoning. Get Amy, Jesu and Carter on the bank accounts now! Any employee that has given Martin access to their funds had better call their bank. Tell Hulk to get his robotic mouse up on the Chase’s floor and then call them to say that animal that Nancy mentioned has been seen and to stay in their apartment. The FBI is on the way and we are right behind them.”

_“She brought in a big cake with fancy frosting; am on my way back there now. Hulk is here. I’ll alert him. Fraud detectives were here earlier. Your realtor is a scammer. They want to set up a sting.”_

“Yeah, they are here too. I’ll have them follow us back. Have someone met us at the security gate. I want Guthrie and Lundy kept away from the take down. And Devlin, I want everything you can find on 1935 Iris Lane.”

_“You got it. Take it easy on the Colonel; he’s been worried sick about you.”_

Joey walked back to the car and tossed Lee’s phone back to him. “Tell Levon to move over, I’m driving.”

Walking around the front of the Lexus, LaFiamma looked at one of the detectives. Then he stopped and stepped up close so only the two Houston Police detectives could hear him.

“You pay someone off, Hanson. Levon gets fired but you and your buddies still keep their jobs. How does that work?” LaFiamma growled low in his throat.

“We don’t make porn films….”

“Look up ‘Quentin Browning’ online. You’ll see all kinds of things he and his photographer friend have filmed. Five of you were also at that bachelor party for that rodeo star,” Joe ground out as two faces stared back at him.

“Walker’s bachelor party? That’s what that was?” One detective gasped his face going white.

“Shit!”

-=-=-=-=-

“Joseph! What are you doing?” Lee growled as Joe tapped the bumper against the security gate.

“Just seeing if anyone is awake, Lulu. Don’t get yourself in a funk.”

“Joey! Boy, are we glad to see you!” A hunk of man said as he bent low to see who was in the car.

“Jimmy. Behind us are two FBI agents. Be sure you scan in their ID. They have a van coming too. Make sure the guys in the back of the van are scanned also.”

“Behind the FBI are a couple of Houston officers. They were here earlier. Smart mouths,” Jimmy said.

“Yeah. Scan them in and have someone escort them to Guthrie’s office on the first floor.”

“Joe, you sure you want them in the Colonel’s office. It’s kind of a tribute to you, man.”

Joe looked at Lee who just shrugged.

“What’s there?” Joey questioned.

“You shaking hands with the President. Guthrie’s team and you. You sitting in a chopper signing with someone. And one that says triplets…”

“Triplets are me, Allan and Tony. Not a problem. Escort them there and be sure they stay. Don’t want them involved in the FBI take down.”

-=-=-=-=-

Nancy Chase slowly opened her apartment door only to have it pulled from her hand.

“NANCY! Stay inside!” Hulk bellowed. “That rodent you told us about … it’s on this floor. If it gets in there we’ll never find it.”

Nancy Chase leaned against the back of the door staring at her brother. “I’ll be so damn glad to get out of this place.”

Minutes later the all clear came. Nancy and Martin opened the door and stepped into the hall to see a metal cage being carried into the elevator. They never noticed the four men on their right.

“Nancy Chase. Martin Chase. FBI! You’re under arrest for premeditated murder and embezzlement.” Agent Montgomery barked as he motioned his CSI team into the apartment.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Martin yelled. “YOU CAN’T GO IN THERE WITHOUT A WARRANT!”

“Actually they can,” Joey answered quietly. “The same as the manager of my apartment let you in. For security purposes, Guthrie, Devlin or I can go into any living quarters here. However, we do have a warrant and I will be glad to get it for you.”

Franklin walked with LaFiamma to the elevator. “Joey. It will take hours to get…”

“Frank… I have a special judge who will do it in a matter of minutes,” Joe responded with a grin.

“I do not want to lose this case.”

“You won’t.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph walked into the main hub of computers and was accosted by Lundy, Guthrie and Devlin. He pushed them all aside and went to one cube in particular. Bending down he explained what he wanted to a young man in a wheelchair. He watched as Thomas talked to a man on the phone explaining what was needed and why. Joe grinned as he walked to the fax machine and put in white brochure paper. Two copies were printed out - one official, one a copy.

“Thanks, Tommy. Dinner’s on me.” Joey said with a smile.

“Hey. We’re both glad you stepped in and got me this job.” Thomas replied with a grin.

“Hey. Just because your legs don’t work, doesn’t mean your brain is dead. More people need to realize that.”

-=-=-=-

Upstairs Martin Chase was refusing to let the FBI into the apartment. Handcuffed and belligerent, he was standing his ground.

Everything stopped as LaFiamma stepped off the elevator with a folded piece of paper in his hand. Walking briskly towards Franklin, Joey couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

Agent Montgomery took what he hoped was a warrant, opened it and read it aloud to Martin Chase. Then he ordered the Chases to be transported to ‘the dungeon’ at the Federal Building.

Once CSI was in the apartment and The Chases were gone, Franklin tapped the warrant on Joe’s shoulder saying, “You want to tell me how you got this in less than ten minutes.”

Joey just grinned at the man.

“Joe. This is a legal document. I’ve never known a warrant to be issued this fast.”

“Last year Godfrey’s favorite nephew was in a bad accident. He was top in his class in Computer Science at Rice. Graduated with honors but nobody would hire him because he’s in a wheelchair. I talked to Annie Hartung about him. She said some companies were under the impression that your brain died if you couldn’t walk and talk. I told Guthrie to hire him. He’s been here a month. Exceptional young man. I played pool with Godfrey at Chicken’s once. After Thomas was hired, the judge called me. Said if I ever needed anything on the spur of the moment to give him a call. This is the first time I’ve called him.”

“Hell! I sure am glad you’re on our side.” Franklin rasped, shaking his head as he walked back to his team.

-=-=-=-

Joey stripped off his clothes as he walked through Guthrie’s bedroom toward the bathroom and the large glassed shower. As the hot water cascaded down his back he finally began to relax. All the tension of the jungle trip, the pain of the lizard’s tongue, and the hospital washed off him and disappeared down the drain. He wasn’t really conscious of anything until the water suddenly stopped.

LaFiamma tensed and turned to meet the person who dared to disrupt him.

“I believe the doctor gave you orders not to get that wet,” Guthrie said tightly.

“He said no soaking in a tub. Showers were okay…”

“Showers were okay if they were quick!”

“Want to join me?”

“Yes. No! We don’t have time.” Colonel Guthrie muttered as his lover stepped out of the glassed-in shower.

“I know you were worried about me Lee. Everything you and Levon talked about… everything the twins talked about I absorbed.” Joey answered quietly, lifting his lover’s chin up.

“You know I will never leave you… not willingly. Since the first time I took you in that shower, I knew you were my lifetime love. That will never change, Lee. Not ever,” Joey purred.

“I brought the information on that house up. It’s on the bed. You’re not going to like it. We’re trying to track down the trustee that controls it. The owner disappeared fifteen years ago, shortly after his wife and her brother disappeared.”

Grabbing a large bath towel off a warming rack, Joey walked into their master bedroom as he dried himself off. “I’ll get dressed and we’ll look at it. But first I need to call on my apartment. All Martin did was bring clothes from the bedroom. Nothing was brought from the kitchen or the laundry room which is where my Marine uniform is hanging.”

-=-=-=

_“Joey! I’m so glad you called. I was on vacation when this Mr Chase came. He didn’t have any of the proper paperwork.”_

“Sandy. I never gave him permission to do that. Besides according to my contract you need thirty days written notice…I”

_“Don’t worry, we haven’t rented it. I did put a bunch of mail from your box on the kitchen counter. When I saw all your kitchen stuff still there and your uniform, I almost called the police on him. Then I heard you were in the hospital, so I just thought I’d wait to hear from you. So glad you are going to stay. I already got the automatic payment for this month, so I knew that guy was in the wrong.”_

“He was definitely in the wrong, and he’s just been arrested. I’ll swing by later today and pick up the mail. Thanks Sandy.”

-=-=-=-

Joey dropped the phone back onto the charging stand and turned his full attention to his lover.

“Joseph! We don’t have time. You have detectives waiting….” Guthrie rasped hoarsely as the towel dropped on the bed and he saw his lover’s full blown hard-on.

“In front of the urinal, Colonel. Drop your pants. It will be like the first time I took you.” LaFiamma answered, his eyes dark.

Colonel Leland Guthrie obeyed immediately. He always did as his lover commanded. Ever since that fateful day when Lieutenant Joseph LaFiamma did a strip tease in the middle of the Commons at Quantico, Guthrie knew that man would be his. What Lee didn’t realize was the bedroom was the one place that Guthrie would never ever be in charge.

The orders were rasped tight into his ears. ”One hand on the wall, the other on your cock. Work it hard. HARDER … Guthrie!”

Using his thumbs, the Italian stallion spread the cheeks in front of him and plunged his rock hard cock into the wet warm enclosure.

Joseph mumbled words in Italian that Lee didn’t understand but the electric charge that went through him with every thrust of his lover shattered all the stress of the last month.

-=-=-=-=-

Dressed in black TBC cargo pants and shirt, LaFiamma paused for just a minute to observe his half naked lover asleep on their king-sized bed. He picked up the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign and hung it on a small hook on the door as he gently closed the door and headed to the elevator.

Speed reading the papers on the Iris Lane house, the Italian suddenly gasped and barked into the camera that was overhead.  “THOMAS! PULL UP THIS ADDRESS IN CHICAGO! I’ll be right there.”

Minutes later he walked into the security command center where men and women in cubicles hovered over a computer doing research or checking on businesses that TBC kept safe.

Devlin looked at the closing door and was surprised when Colonel Guthrie didn’t enter.

Quietly, Joey said to Devlin only, “He’s sleeping. He was exhausted. Do not disturb him.”

“Who are you?” Devlin questioned.

A smile spread across Joseph LaFiamma’s face. “I am the man who invaded the Colonel’s shower at Quantico. An Italian Stallion is always in charge of his bedroom.”

Still staring into Devlin’s blue-grey eyes, Joe rasped, “Let me know if you are in need…I would love to see you get rid of all the prickly things that keep you so uptight.”

“JOEY! I’M PUTTING THE TWO HOUSES UP ON THE MONITOR. OH MY GOD THEY ARE BOTH THE SAME!” Thomas shouted.

Asking no one in particular, Joe questioned, “Is there a monitor in Guthrie’s office?”

“Yes.”

“Wait!” Thomas shouted. “Here is a picture of the man who is listed as the Trustee of the property. It says he used to be a Chicago cop.”

Joseph Anthony LaFiamma stared hate filled eyes at the dirty cop who killed his father. Swearing in Italian, German, French and a few others, caused several men to stand and look at him.

“That stinking bastard killed my father!” Joey’s voice was laced with venom. ”I was eight years old. He and his partner walked into our house and dragged my dad through the kitchen into the garage. I was home with the flu. I watched this cop pull a weapon and fire point blank into my father’s chest. When my Dad spit at him, the cop raised the gun and shot him in the head.”

Turning to Devlin, speaking in a voice even he himself didn’t recognize, Joe rasped, “You better have some guys go with me to this house. If I see him I will kill him with my bare hands and then I will throw him in Garbonzill’s piranha tank.”

Half the room erupted with the word, “PIRANHA!”

-=-=--=

“Can those detectives come up here? We’re going to need back up going into that house.” Joe asked, before shooting off questions to others.

“Amy! Do some research on missing kids or people in this area? What is the terrain like? Are there any ponds around? “

“Thomas. How long has this house been empty? Is this cop supposed to be checking and how often?”

Devlin lightly touched Joe’s shoulder. “You want to tell us what is going on?”

“Get those cops up here, and I will explain everything. But do not disturb Guthrie.”

-=-=-=-

The two Houston detectives were bitching at Lundy as they walked through the double doors into the command center of the Texas Bond Company. One look at what was going on shut them up immediately.

Devlin directed the two men to chairs near Guthrie’s office.

Lundy walked up to Joe who was standing on an elevated platform using a laser pointer.

“Shouldn’t Lee be here?” Levon asked as his partner stared down at him.

Stepping down, Joe motioned Lundy into Lee’s glassed in office.

“Lee is asleep upstairs. He was exhausted. We pushed a heavy pace in that South American jungle. He is not to be disturbed. I don’t care if he sleeps for ten hours or two. I do not want him disturbed until he wakes up naturally.” Joe remarked gruffly.

“LaFiamma. Guthrie owns this whole damn place. We work for him. How can you just walk in here and take over?” Lundy growled not understanding why LaFiamma was suddenly in charge. As cops, the Northerner was never in charge.

“You were never in the military, were you?” LaFiamma quizzed.

“No.”

“Then you wouldn’t understand.”Joey replied his hand on the door knob.

Swallowing hard, the Italian said something that he’d held back for five years. “As cops you always figured you were the boss because this is Texas and you are a born and bred Texan. That’s not how it works in this place, Levon.”

In typical Texas fashion Lundy pushed past his partner. He stormed through the Command Center and pushed through the double doors.

Devlin jogged after him catching him before he reached the elevators. “Lundy! Do not disturb the Colonel!”

“Guthrie owns this place! How can you just let Joey walk in and take over?” Levon growled. “We’re just hired help.”

Devlin blinked. “You don’t get it, do you? Maybe because you have no clue how the military chain of command works. If the Colonel is unavailable, the next officer of rank is in charge. That would be Captain LaFiamma.”

“He said he was a Lieutenant.”

“He was promoted to Captain when he returned from their rescue mission. It’s probably in his mailbox at his apartment. Still, the rank doesn’t matter. Guthrie brought Joseph on as a full partner. Either man can be in charge. Guthrie hasn’t slept more than two hours a night since Joey collapsed. Let him sleep.”

“And if I don’t?” Levon growled.

“Then I can guarantee you will not have a partner when you return with the Colonel.” That said, Devlin did an about face and walked back to the Command Center.

-=-=-=-

It was quiet when Devlin returned to the Command Center. Joey was on his cell setting up an appointment to meet Ms Davis and the seller. There were four images on the big screen – the house in Houston, the house in Chicago, a room with an odd looking pool table and a backyard that encompassed a small pond.

Walking up to Hulk, Devlin asked for an update.

“The house on the right is Joey’s grandmother’s house. Built by this Garbonzo guy.as a wedding present for them. But her father nixed the deal because she was promised to someone else when she was twelve. Can you imagine that? He got pissed off and left town building the exact replica down here. In Chicago, he sold exotic fish. Had a tank of piranha. Got mad at someone who came in the store and grabbed the man’s hand sticking in the tank. The guy lost two fingers up to the second knuckle in a flash. God, I can’t even imagine.”

“Devlin,” Joe’s voice was calm. “Did he go upstairs?”

“Yes. You want me to stop him?”

“Yes.”

Devlin smiled saying, “By the way Joseph, you’re a Captain now. Ordered by the President. You were the only one the wife would have trusted. It’s probably in your mailbox at your apartment.”

-=-=-=-

Captain Devlin Harding ran toward the stairwell. Taking the steps two at time he was up the four flights in minutes. There were only two apartments on the top floor and Guthrie’s was closest to the stairs.

Walking through the open door that had a DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging on it. Devlin headed for the bedroom. Arriving there he found Lundy about to grab the Colonel by the shoulders. Roughly grabbing the Texan, he swung the man around and practically threw him out the bedroom door.

“What about ‘do not disturb’ don’t you understand Lundy?” Devlin fiercely growled.

Pushing the man toward the living room and the front door, Devlin grabbed a paper and a marker off the small desk.

Levon watched the man write something on the paper and then take two pieces of tape off a scotch tape roll.

“Out the door, cowboy.”

The Texan looked at the sign.

“ **DO NOT DISTURB THE COLONEL**

**OR YOU WILL BE SHOT BY**

**CAPT LAFIAMMA !!**

**Devlin”**

“Downstairs, let’s go.”

-=-=-=--

Okay,” Joe said, closing his phone.“We’re set up with Ms Davis for two-thirty. Hopefully you can arrest her before the school buses invade the neighborhood.”

Joe glance up to see Devlin and Lundy walk in. Levon looked unhappy. Devlin gave Joe a smile.

“Joey,” Amy called standing. “I have the name of two officers who have investigated the disappearance of several children in that area. Do you want me to call one of them? Maybe you need to.”

“What did you find out about Ms Davis that the detectives haven’t told us?”

Amy looked at the two detectives and then back at Joey, a glint of humor in her eyes.

“She has done this scam in several cities in Texas. Numerous complaints about her and her husband. Her husband is always the Seller but also has impersonated a banker. Usually a small new bank looking for business. Jesu is tracking their bank deposits. They don’t seem to have any accounts outside the state. He said he’s tracking millions… in at least three separate banks.”

“Good work, guys!”  Joey responded empathically.

Looking at Lundy, LaFiamma’s whole demeanor changed. “Levon, the detectives will fill you in. You’d best hang with them since you also met this woman. You can give them some insight about her.”

Changing back to investigative mode, Joey asked the group at large, “Who’s working on the Chicago cop?”

A young redheaded man stood up and looked at Joey. “That would be me. Carter. He goes by the name of Jefferson Barkley now. Retired down here from Chicago, though the Jefferson Barkley of Chicago that I found, that matches his description, died in the 1940’s which Hulk said is how elections are won up there.”

LaFiamma burst out laughing. “Yes. Many dead people vote two or three times in Cook County. That political machine has operated like that for years.”

Carter’s eyes went wide. “Wow. Well, he retired here because Garbonzill asked him to. Barkley was also a partner in the exotic fish store. I talked to Barkley’s secretary. It seems he travels a lot, visiting old friends around the country. He is supposed to check that house at least twice a month to make sure no one has tried to get in it. She was appalled to learn that some realtor has it listed for sale. She also has the building plans at the office. I asked her some questions. She said there was a huge exotic fish tank in the basement which is kind of a 1930’s speakeasy.”

“OH HELL!” LaFiamma growled loudly. “Amy, give me the name and number for the Cold Case detectives.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma stood in Guthrie’s glassed-in office talking to Lieutenant Jerry Anderson, the man in charge of HPD’s Cold Case division.

“ _Hell, Joe. Piranhas! Not the way I wanted to start my weekend.”_

“Tell me about it. I got out of the hospital this morning and am supposed to be resting. This guy Barkley hasn’t checked in with his secretary in two months. She’s worried about him. There is an exotic fish tank in the basement. Over all these years it is sure to have leaks or even busted open. Anyone going down the stairs into the basement ….that might be the reason he is AWOL.”

_“Okay. Harry has pulled up something we came across earlier. Four houses on that side of the street are not hooked up to city water. This means they could well have flesh eating fish in their toilets or even their septic tanks. What time are you meeting this so called realtor?”_

“2:30…I’m sure she will be there before that, so I want to get there soon.”

_“There is a pond back there. Kids have disappeared around there. We’ll call in the police chopper. Drop in some dye packs and frozen beef… if it disappears we will know we have a real problem.”_

“Have him drop a dye pack in the backyard of that house. If that tank has leaked into the underwater system, we should be able to tell which houses are affected. Jerry…his missing trustee was a dirty cop in Chicago. Who knows what is in that fish tank?”

“Depending on what the dye shows us, we will probably have to evacuate the neighborhood. Especially that side of the street. Damn, Jerry. This could become a nightmare.”

_“Joe. I think that is the understatement of the year. We’ll meet you out there a bit after two.”_

-=-=-=-

Joe walked out of the office and straight to where Devlin was standing. Quietly, he said, “I’m going up to check on Guthrie. I don’t want him on site or involved in this… if we can help it.”

“What about Lundy?”

“He’s out of the loop on this, though I’m sure he’ll butt in because after all the house is on his ground – Texas.”

“I’m beginning to understand the frustration you had with him.”

-=-=-=-

Joseph quietly walked into the Colonel’s top floor apartment, grinning at the sign on the front door.

Pushing open the bedroom door, he surveyed the room walking around picking up clothes and the still damp bath towel.

Carefully opening one side of the bed, Joe whispered in his lover’s ear and the man rolled over taking the pillow in his arms with him. Deftly stripping Lee down to his shorts he pulled the blankets up.

“Sleep my love,” Joey whispered into Lee’s ear.

-=-=-=-

Walking toward the command center, Joe pulled his phone and called his brother. John was astonished to learn about Garbonzill and that there was a duplicate house here. John told him the horses were here from Illinois and everything was good.

“ _You want me to come in. Keep Levon out of your way?”_

“How often were you in Grandma LaFiamma’s house? Do you have a key?”

“ _A key? You have a key?”_ John gasped surprised at that fact.

“I have a key and I know some things about her house no one else does. Hell, some of the things she told me, are coming back to haunt me.”

_“Her mother was a gypsy. Did you know that?” John said quietly. “Grandma LaFiamma saw things no one else did.”_

“You better stay where you are. If I could, I would send Levon home but he’ll want to butt in even though he knows nothing about the background of Garbonzill.”

_“I can call him; tell him I need help here. God, Joey, do you think those fish are loose?”_

“Better turn on your TV John. This is going to make worldwide news.”

=======

Devlin watched LaFiamma walk in and stop abruptly. The Italian’s eyes scanned the room taking in every single movement.

“ATTENTION! I want to thank everyone who has worked so diligently on this. This is just a toe hold on what is about to happen. I need everyone who has worked on this to print out their information so it can be given to the Cold Case detectives.”

“Hulk” Joe said as he continued to scan the room. “Suit up! You’re coming with me. Matthews, Lundy goes with you. Need you to get in there … arrest the woman and her husband and get out. Anderson and others will be coming in soon after.”

Lundy was dumbfounded. “Who the hell do you think you are? You’re not a cop anymore LaFiamma. You can’t go charging around like some Chicago hothead! This is Texas, we…”

“Shut up, Levon!” Detective Hutchins barked. “We are all damn tired of you pulling your Texas card! LaFiamma’s in charge because he knows the people and the house. You’d walk in like you owned the damn place and probably get eaten alive and even after that you’d still be bitching. How the hell LaFiamma has stood being your partner for five years nobody on the whole damn force knows.”

Total silence fell over the room. No one said a word. It was the ringing of a phone in Guthrie’s office that pushed Joe to continue on his way.

“LaFiamma. Yes sir. Hang on, they are here.”

Walking to the doorway, Joe looked at Matthews. “It’s Captain Rice. Ms Davis and her husband are having a late lunch at that place called a Truck Shop near the mall on Hall. He wants them arrested away from the house. Take Levon. He knows who she is.”

Turning, the Italian walked back into the office closing the door behind him.

Picking up the phone, Joe listened intently as his former Division Commander told him the chopper had already dropped dye in the backyard and the pond. And the pond behind the Iris Lane house was connected to two others. Captain Rice also informed Joe that there was already one news chopper in the area.

Joe informed the man that he still carried a key to his Grandmother’s house and he believed that it would open the front door of this house. As he talked with Captain Rice, Joe realized that every room was decorated the same as the one in Chicago. Right down to the lemon drops in the purple frog dish.

-=-=-=-

Arriving at Iris Lane Joey did a slow roll through the police vehicles, noticing there was already an EMT unit halfway up the block.

“Looks like we got a victim already,.”

“Hey! That lady with the little boy is a chef at the Colonel’s favorite restaurant. She should be at work today,” Hulk remarked pointing towards the EMT vehicle.

“Let’s drive up there and turn around, face the other way in case we need a quick exit.”

-=-=-=-

“Ms Schroeder. What are you doin’ home today?” Hulk asked as Joe unlocked the tailgate to take out a bag.

“Got fired yesterday, Jamison.” The blonde answered. “Seems the owner doesn’t want anyone working there that has children.”

 _Jam-a-son?_ Joey mouthed to his friend.

“It’s my real name,” Hulk growled back.

LaFiamma laughed, then turned to move the other black bag in the back to the back seat.

“Why don’t you sit up here and read that?” Joey said lifting the five year old boy up into the back.

“And ma’am… why don’t you sit up here too. It will keep you out of EMT’s way.”

“They called for the coroner,” Irene Schroeder replied quietly. “Something bad was in her toilet.”

Hulk and Joe exchanged distressed looks. It was Hulk who said, “If she has it, ma’am, then you have it too. Good thing Ryan the Third didn’t investigate.”

“It’s deadly?

“Yes ma’am.”

“Hulk. Put the other bag in the front seat, then I have to open up the house. Ma’am. I need you to stay in this vehicle …no matter what happens. You understand?”

“You’re a military man, aren’t you?”

“I was, yes.”

“My husband’s in Kuwait. He was due home three months ago but the General in charge has gone nuts-oh. No one can leave and no one is allowed in.”

“Army?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the General name?”

“Killman…Killer…?”

“Keller?”

“Yes. Do you know him?”

“I was a Marine, but yes, I’ve heard of him.”

-=-=-=-=-

As Joe and Hulk walked down to 1935 Iris Lane, Joey cell buzzed. “Yeah.”

_“Just want you to know that you are on the air - CNN and local news.” Delvin informed Joe._

“Colonel still asleep? Good.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma stopped at the edge of the front walk. He looked at the CNN van with a camera on the roof and then over to the local FOX network SUV, nodding to a man he knew wearing a headset.

Joe’s eyes took in every aspect of the front of the house. The only difference from the one in Chicago was the garage.

Looking at the two men with Capt Rice, Joe asked, “Do you have the blueprints?”

“Hank Carleton. I was the architect that drew up the plans. Capt Rice says there is an identical house in Chicago.”

“The main part of the house is the same but the Chicago house does not have a garage or a room off the kitchen. What I also need to know if how you get into the basement and what kind of reinforcements were done there.”

“Well, the house was built first. It wasn’t until five or six years later that he called me to have the garage and the billiard room put on. Plus he wanted the basement extended.The addition to the basement is double thick concrete with a huge bullet proof type square in it. There is an opening in the pool table that looks down into that bullet proof square. There is a laundry room off the garage and stairway in there also that goes down to the basement.”

“Have you ever been down there?” Joey asked.

“No.” Came the curt reply.

“Any other odd things related to the basement?” Joe asked looking back at the garage.

“There is a slide…” Hank Carleton began.

“Slide?” Joe and Rice quipped in surprise.

“French doors opposite the pool table open wide into the room. Lock one door and open the other, some kind of a slide appears and goes right into the pool in the basement.” Carleton explained.

“The pool?” Rice questioned. “The bullet proof glass pool?”

“Yes.”

“Shit!” LaFiamma groaned. “That means Garbonzill could invite his ‘friends’ … ones he wanted to get rid of to come in the side entrance. Step on the slide and whoosh … dead in thirty seconds.”

“Dead? What are you talking about?” Hank Carleton asked looking from one man to the other.

Joey LaFiamma looked to the sky. Walked to the garage and looked inside at a red sports car. Turning back to the architect he quietly answered the man’s question.

“In Chicago, Mr Garbonzill had an exotic fish store. His favorite tank of fish terrified everyone. He loved showing visitors these fish and what they could do to five pounds of frozen beef… in less than ten seconds. The fish in that tank were piranha.”

“P-P-Piranha?” Carleton gasped. His eyes rolled back as he fainted, barely being caught by his assistant and Capt Rice.

Hulk was there in seconds ripping open a first aid bag as he sprinted from a police car with a paramedic behind him.

-=-=-=-=-

“Captain. Hulk and I are going to do a walk-through of the house only. Just to make sure we don’t have fish in the toilets and the sink.” Joe said pulling out his key chain and motioning Hulk away from the fallen architect.

As Joe pulled out his latex gloves, Hulk did the same.

“You want me to look in the toilet bowl only. They wouldn’t be able to get into the tank.”

“Yes. There is a main bathroom and a half bath by the kitchen,” Joey answered as his key opened the front door.

“Pull back the covers on the bed too. Just in case it is a water bed. This guy had some real quirks. I’m going to check the attic. I saw movement up there.”

The two men stepped into the living room and looked around.

“Wow! This is old stuff,” Hulk exclaimed. “Some of this is worth a lot of bucks.”

“Okay, the door to the attic is right….” LaFiamma gaped at the rug on the wall.

“Looks like someone doesn’t want us to go in the attic. Okay, big guy, let’s lift this thing off the wall and lay it … there should be a sitting room around on your left.”

Joey stared at the wall safe as Hulk laid the rug in the sitting room. When the big man walked down the hall toward the bedrooms Joe’s hand went up to the safe and tried the numbers that Grandma LaFiamma had taught him as a boy.

_To the left 25….back to 10 … left again past 25 to 30 … open.  Use the rack to pull out what is in the safe._

Joey was shocked when the safe opened. He then looked at the backscratcher hanging on the wall. _A rake._

Unzipping a cargo pocket, he used the rack to pull out two bank passbooks and three letters. Then quietly closed the safe and spun the dial.

_Grandma LaFiamma, I hope to hell this doesn’t get me in trouble._

“Hulk! I’m going in the attic.”

“Toilet bowl is clear. Tank too. Checking the bed.”

Joe eased open the attic door and slowly walked backwards up the stairs so he could see what was there,                        

“Good god!” In front of him were two people, a man and a woman. Each one was sitting in a rocking chair. Hands and feet tied to the chair. Each body was encased in a huge airtight plastic bag. The man’s head was down. Joe figured he probably never regained consciousness. The women’s eyes were wide open as was her mouth. Movement at the other side of the attic caught his attention and his slid on his butt down the stairs just as the shotgun blasted in his direction.

-=-=-=-=-=

At the Texas Bond Company, Devlin was just walking into Guthrie’s apartment when the Colonel bolted upright in bed screaming, ‘NOOOOOOOOOO! JOOOSEPH!”

Devlin Harding burst through the apartment and into the bedroom. “Colonel?”

“Joseph’s been shot. Shotgun….oh god!”

-=-=-=-=

Hulk came running as did Captain Rice. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?” They shouted in unison.

Joey gawked at them as he fumbled for his phone and speed dialed Devlin.

_“Devlin.”_

“Tell the Colonel I’m fine.”

_“Tell him yourself!. He woke up screaming you just had your head shot off!”_

“Colonel…” Joe listened to his lover rant. “Guthrie! If I had my head shot off, would I be talking to you now?”

“Yes sir. Hulk and I will be careful. By the way, I am hiring a new chef, though she doesn’t know it yet, and her family will need housing. Hulk will fill you in.”

Handing his phone to Jamison, Joe stood and motioned Rice back outside.

-==-=-

“WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED IN THERE? SOMEONE JUST SHOT THE WINDOW CASING TO SMITHEREENS!” Several people shouted as the two men walked outside.

The former Marine walked around the side of the house and looked at the shattered window. “Four more inches and I wouldn’t have had a forehead.”

“What’s up there?” Capt Scott Randolph Rice questioned looking up at the splintered window frame.

Hulk jogged up to Joey with Joe’s phone extended out to the man. “It’s Dilly. He’s assembled your squad and they are on the perimeter. Saw what was happening on the news.”

“Dillard.” LaFiamma said tightly.

_“Actually sir, the President called me. Then Guthrie called me. The President doesn’t want this to turn into a three ring circus and wants you to update him ASAP. What exactly do we have?”_

“We have piranhas Lieutenant. In the basement. In the backyard. In the pond and in the johns of three houses. Plus we have two corpses in the attic protected by a shotgun triggered by something on the stairs.”

_“Shit!”_

“My sentiments exactly.”

“ _I stopped by your apartment and picked up your day uniform. Pulled out your Captain bars that were peeking through an envelope and put them on. Our President wants these yahoos to know who you are… and he has given you permission to talk to the press.”_

“What are you driving?”

_“A big Humvee. Gabby painted it lavender. Stenciled on the side is “Fiamma Squad.”_

LaFiamma rolled his eyes. “Okay. Get in here. We have work to do.”

-=-=-=-=-=

“Hulk. Need you to bring the Lexus down. I need to talk to Mrs Schroeder. Then I want you to drive them to TBC. Call Guthrie and tell him to bring John in.”

“You want ME … to call Guthrie?! The meanest Marine Colonel that ever lived?”

“Yeah.”

“You got a death wish me Joe?”

“Doesn’t he talk to any of the staff there?”

“Nancy and Martin. Devlin and a couple of others. Devlin relays most of his orders …and you are the only one in history that has ever…EVER shut him up and told him to back off.”

“Hmmm. Okay. Bring the Lexus down. Wait! What about the master bedroom bed?”

“It was a waterbed and it is full of creepy, crawly things that used to be alive. And I don’t even what to know what he used it for.” Hulk said backing up the driveway.

LaFiamma turned and looked into the confused faces of several police officers. Sighing heavily, Joe explained to Capt Rice and the others that the President was turning the house investigation over to him because of his connection to the house and the man.

“Really all that means is, I get to call on all the resources the city has to offer … which are the neighborhood cops that know the area. But also any other city or state resources that are needed.  I’ve also been informed that we are on the air. Local news, CNN and who knows what up in the air.”

 

 


	2. The President Orders

Joey watched the Lexus leave the scene still smiling from the hug that Irene Schroeder had given him. Sixty thousand dollars as a personal chef for TBC was more than she ever expected.

Joe decided to call his brother John himself. No use going through Guthrie. But after a long conversation with John Anthony LaFiamma, Joe discovered that he was the only one in the family that knew the ins and outs of Grandma LaFiamma’s house. Though John did know the attic and he would be glad to come and give them some ideas on how to get up there besides the stairs.

-=-=-=-=-

As the lavender Humvee drove up, Capt Rice told the cold case detectives that for the time being they were on standby. He told the two police supervisors that were there, that LaFiamma would be in charge of this until further notice.

“LaFiamma? Lundy’s partner? “

“Just because he has a key to the place…”  Sgt Milton’s words dropped into a void as six men immerged from inside the Humvee, and collectively said ‘Captain’ to LaFiamma.

-=-=-=-=-

Dillard leaned forward and said quietly, “When the President called me, he said he wanted his home state of Texas to know you weren’t a Chicago hood but were one of his personal Marines.”

Tapping the zippered leg pouch, LaFiamma responded quietly to his Team Leader  saying he had something very important here that could not be lost.

“We have a lock box inside.”

“Okay gentlemen, Dillard and I will step inside. Want you in an at ease position. Keep the cops and the media away.”

-=-=-=

Inside the Humvee, Dillard grinned. “You look a hell of a lot better than you do in those black cargo pants.”

Joe looked at the ceiling and then back at his Lieutenant. “I just hope to hell Grandma LaFiamma knows what she’s gotten us into. Let’s go.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Keep your camera on the back of the Humvee. Zoom in if you can,” ordered Jeff Richards, newscaster for the local FOX station.

Who stepped back out a few minutes later was a totally different Joseph LaFiamma.

“Holy cow,” rasped the cameraman. “He’s got the Distinguished service medal  ... Purple Heart  ..., some kind of rifle thing. Sniper, maybe. Combat ribbon. Some others I haven’t seen before and … Carl! He’s wearing the Presidential seal on his collar. It is some kind of a pin.”

“Special forces. On call by the President. As deadly as SEALs. Holy crap! I thought those guys were just fiction.”

-=-=-=-=-=

LaFiamma motioned to Capt Rice and the others to come forward while asking for maps.

“Frog.” Joe said, putting his hands together to form a right angle. “Need your equipment to get an image of what is up in the attic. Especially the shooter. Shells ejected from both barrels once it fired and I could hear it automatically reload itself.”

“And we need your electron robot. The trigger for the gun is somewhere on the stairs.”

“Gabby. I need you to get the President on an encrypted line.”

“Yes sir!” Frog and Gabby answered enthusiastically. .

“Okay gentlemen….” Joey began, stopping abruptly when he saw the Governor’s car roll in.

-=-=-=-

“Captain! I have the President on the line. He’d like to talk to you before you talk to the Governor,” Gabby stated firmly only glancing at the Texas Governor as he exited his car and approached the group.

Joey eased into the passenger seat of the Humvee. “LaFiamma.”

_“Joe. This is just between you and me. I am activating you for this operation and this operation only. It will not be announced anywhere. Only you and my staff know this. I have already told the Governor of your qualifications. I have assured him that you are quite capable and can work with any agency.”_

_“I also understand that your Chicago family will be livid. Especially Aunt Theresa who reminds me of Eleanor Roosevelt.”_

Joey burst out laughing. “Good comparison. My family hasn’t supported me here or even visited me. Other than Colonel Guthrie who will be uncorked when he sees me in uniform, don’t think there is much to worry about. It will definitely jar some heads loose in the police department.”

_“The Governor will announce to the police and the press that you are in charge.”_

“Sir. I’d like to ask you about General Keller. We just evacuated Mrs Irene Schroeder and her five year old son. Her husband Sgt Ryan Schroeder was supposed to have been rotated home three months ago. His outfit is still in Kuwait as is another unit that should have left a month ago. From what I hear, Keller has gone off the deep end. Perhaps you could check on that.”

_“I will be glad to check on that, Joe.”_

“And…”

_“And…” President Bush added with a smile, though his man couldn’t see it.“CNN posted you stepping out of the Humvee, in uniform. Several women on my staff are already sharing it on their phones. It will probably be viral by the time we hang up.”_

LaFiamma rolled his eyes and groaned at the thought of thousands of women putting him up as wallpaper on their phones or computers.

“Aunt Theresa was the one who kept me from the four year enlistment. Did she understand about the additional two year commitment? _”_

_“She probably thought you’d never get called up. When you were, a Marine Major showed her the contract she had signed and there was nothing she could do about. I believe the man told her it would have been better for you to have the four year hitch.”_

“An update … we have hybrid piranhas in a huge bullet proof tank in the basement of this house. With a diabolical way to get unsuspecting people that Garbonzill didn’t like into it. We have two perfectly preserved bodies in the attic guarded by something that unloads a double barreled shotgun at anyone attempting to enter.  Dye packs have been dropped into the backyard to see how far the leakage goes.”

LaFiamma looked up to see the Governor standing by the Humvee door. He had no clue how long the man had been there.

"We have evacuated Mrs Schroeder and her son to the Texas Bond Company. The house next to them is a woman in a wheelchair. She was found dead in her bathroom. Next step is to go door to door and probably evacuate the whole block. The houses up from this address are the main concern. At least three houses are not connected to city water. Yes, the Governor is here.”

_“Take charge, Captain. This is the job you have trained for all your life.”_

“Thank you sir.”

_“And Joe … Amanda Corson told me she prayed daily for you to rescue them. She would not have trusted any other rescuer.” President Bush confided._

LaFiamma clicked the phone off and laid his head back. Said a few words in Italian and then hung up the phone.

“Well, Governor, what do you say? Shall we get this pony show on the road?”

“I can definitely see why the President likes you.”

-=-=-=-=-

“Dillard. Need the maps… the plot of this house and one mile square.” LaFiamma barked as he closed the Humvee door.

Joe and the Governor talked quietly together and then the Texas Governor spoke to Captain Rice and the police present.

“Captain LaFiamma, US Marine Corps, has been asked by President Bush to be in charge of this situation. I have been on the phone with the President and he has updated me on Captain LaFiamma’s expertise. I have told him,” nodding to Joe, “that he can use any resource he needs from the City of Houston or the State of Texas.”

Joey watched Frog and Barney go into the house. He said a fast prayer of safety before turning his attention to the maps that now hung on the side of the lavender Humvee.

“On the left is a blowup of the property of 1935 Iris Lane in Houston. It is a small three bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house with a sitting room, dining room and kitchen. That is the original house. Six years after the house was built the owner added the garage, a billiard room, and a bullet proof glass fish tank in the basement. He also modified the billiard room with French doors off the west side of the room. Opening two of the doors provided entrance on a normal night. However.., leaving one half closed and opening the other half produced a slide that goes directly into the tank in the basement. That tank is why we are here.”

“The tank in the basement, under the billiard room, is actually a very large exotic fish tank. The owner, Arturo Garbonzill, sold exotic fish, often illegal fish, out of his Chicago store. He had one fish that he doted on. This fish in South America is only carnivorous when it is starving. In fact, some are vegetarians. Some only eat each other. Normally.., a piranha… will only take a bite of an arm or leg that hangs off a boat. However, Garbonzill often starved these fish just so he could see them eat an enemy. When he moved to Houston he brought those fish with him,” Joey explained watching the realization set in on the faces of the men and women around him.

“What we are worried about …with no one here; their food supply has dried up. Plus the pressure of the water and the bones of the deceased in the tank may have caused leakage into the backyard and the pond. So … any child or adult that has ventured into this backyard has.. become.. their food supply.”

Joey watched as the wave of shock spread across faces.

Pointing to the larger map, Joe continued. “This pond in the backyard is fed by this pond which in a small private park. So far, we have not discovered who owns this piece of land and it may well be Garbonzill.”

Motioning up the street, Joe explained that three houses were on wells, not city water. “Mrs Schroeder and her son have been evacuated. Her neighbor, Mrs Reynolds, a woman in her seventies, was found dead in her bathroom. Piranha are in her toilet bowl.”

“Geesh, Joey! This could become a nightmare!” An officer exclaimed.

LaFiamma pulled his beeping phone from his pocket.

_“This is Police Air One. Better put me on speaker, Joe.”_

“This is the police chopper with an update.”

_“You’re not going to like this, Joey. Hell, we don’t like this. There are numerous red streaks coming from the back of the house. On the east side, there is a small window that looks like it has blown out. Probably rain has filled that fish tank to overflowing. The pond in the backyard is completely red. There are a few streaks in the pond in that private park… but also a few that head toward a public park.”_

“What about the houses up from here?” Joey questioned.

_“First house has a few red streaks, the second also but the third…is red along the back side of the house. From here, it looks like their septic is overflowing. They probably have sewage and fish in their basement.”_

“CAPTAIN!” Dillard shouted bursting into the conference circle. “It’s Guthrie. Little Ryan Schroeder says he has a friend next door that is locked in his bedroom on the second floor.”

LaFiamma took the phone from his Lieutenant and walked into the street. “Ryan.”

_“My friend Jeffrey is upstairs locked in his bedroom. His mom always locks him up when she goes to town. He saw all the police and called my mom.”_

“He’s locked… in a bedroom?” Joe questioned making sure he understood. _Who locks their kids in a bedroom and leaves? What if there is a fire?_

_“His dad has a new job in Austin. His mom doesn’t want to go. She goes shopping with her friends and locks him upstairs. His dog heard somethin’ in the basement and now he’s worried because sometimes he gets to keep the dog with him and the dog never came up from the basement.”_

“Okay, Ryan. We will rescue Jeffrey. Give the phone back to Colonel Guthrie.”

“Lee. Has John come in from the ranch? Have Hulk bring him over. Then Hulk can take Jeffrey back to you and the Schroeder’s.”

_“Ryan remembered Jeffery’s father new company. I’ve called the Austin police to alert them.”_

“Thanks.”

“Dillard. Get Bear up here.”

Looking at his phone, Joe told Air One they had an emergency here and to keep them posted.

A bear of a man even bigger than his brother John came forward from the back of the Humvee.

“Slater. Brookfield. This is Bear. In the third house, we have a little boy locked in his second floor bedroom. His mother has replaced the original door with a solid, reinforced door with a padlock. The boy’s name is Jeffery. His mother locks him in there every time she decides to hang out with her friends. The basement is flooding. His dog heard something in the basement and never came up again. Get in that house and get the boy out. If the water is already seeping into the kitchen, do not enter.  Read my lips, gentlemen. DO NOT ENTER IF WATER IS IN THE KITCHEN.”

“If you see any hint of water, call 911 and ask for a ladder truck for a second story rescue. If we have to break every damn window up there… we will get this kid out!” Captain LaFiamma growled fiercely.

-=-=-=-

Jesu, at the Texas Bond Company, bolted out of his chair shouting for Delvin.

“DELVIN! Joe’s wearing a headset. Everything he is saying I’m recording. He just got the name of Jeffrey’s mother from one of the officers there. She’s got a record. Drunk and disorderly. Another officer said she hangs out with a group of women every weekend… meaning she locks her kid upstairs…”

Colonel Guthrie came out of his office as Jesu spoke.

“Delvin! Call that criminal lawyer that just signed up with us. Get a recommendation for a child custody lawyer. Let’s get that boy in his father’s custody… now.”

-=-=-=-=-

The Texas Governor stood next to his car watching a ladder truck from Fire House 61 move to another window. This time a thumbs up came as they broke through a mesh screen protecting the glass. Then using a tool they forced the window open.

Joe watched the young boy wrap his arms around the fireman. “Dillard. We want pictures of the inside of that room.”

Joey turned back to the map asking which officers patrolled the public park. He traced his finger around an area saying, “You need to set up a perimeter around this area. It has to be closed to the public as of now. We need 24 hour surveillance there.”

“Joey. How do we know if the fish are there?” One office asked. “Just because the dye is there…”

“Know a butcher or market in that area? Have them give you some boneless meat scraps. Throw pieces in at various spots. If you get a flurry of foam… they are there.”

“Captain LaFiamma.”

Joe turned at the Governor’s voice, remembering they still needed to do a news conference. “Yes sir.”

“Is there a way to kill these fish?”

“I had to Google that question to find out. The best way, believe it or not, is to hit them with a hammer, crushing them. You can also freeze them in blocks of ice, though I don’t know what would happen if they unthaw. There are a couple other formulas for euthanizing them but I think crushing them would be our best option. However, they can live in just a half a cup of water, so we’d have to make sure they were contained.”

“There are seven or eight news vans out there on the corner. You and I need to put our heads together and decide what to tell the public.”

“That, Governor… is the 64 dollar question.”

**-=-=-=-=-**

The news conference blared across every Houston station and was carried nationwide by CNN and the BBC. Late lunches, early dinners in Chicago came to a standstill as Joseph Anthony LaFiamma and the Texas Governor approached several microphones.

Captain LaFiamma was introduced by the Texas Governor. He stated that LaFiamma had been appointed by the President to oversee the situation involving 1935 Iris Lane.

Joseph explained about the two houses, both on Iris Lane but in different cities. He mentioned the bodies that were found in the attic of the Houston house and who they were believed to be. Then he explained about the exotic fish tank, though he did not mention what kind of fish they were.

“Captain LaFiamma. How do you know the house in Chicago doesn’t have a fish tank in the basement too?”

“1935 Iris Lane in Chicago is at the end of a dead end street. It has no garage. The only thing brewed in that basement was a very strong… highly alcoholic root bear…during Prohibition.”

“And how do you know that?” Pressured the reporter.

“The Chicago house belonged to my Grandparents and is still owned by the LaFiamma Family,” Joey said staring at the man. He knew, just knew, phones were ringing off their hooks in Chicago.

“Both houses were designed and built by the same man. My Grandparents raised nine children in their house. While I cannot explain why Arturo Garbonzill built a second house down here, I can tell you that it is the exact replica of the one in Chicago. I was shocked when I walked into it. Everything is the same… the furniture, the curtains, the rugs. Even my Grandmother’s favorite candy dish... a purple frog with lemon drops in it.”

“You said there were bodies in the attic. How could you even identify them after all this time?” Another reporter questioned.

BAM=BAM! BAM=BAM!...Four shotgun blasts had LaFiamma turning on a dime and running full out for the house, followed by John LaFiamma, Dillard and three cops.

They were met at the front door by Frog and Barney who looked a little shell shocked.

“Come on… sit in the Humvee and tell me what happened.” Joe offered, while he and a cop supported Frog.

John picked up a shaking Barney and carried him up the front walk. Paramedics met them, taking blood pressure and giving Barney oxygen.

Joey put his hands on Frog’s face trying to get him to speak. Finally he used Frog’s real name. “Richard!”

“I hate that name, Captain.”

“I know that. What happened up there?”

“It’s on my android,” Frog answered looking around. “Oh hell, don’t tell me I dropped it up there.”

“I’ll get it,” Joey said getting up.

“The hell you will,” John yelled following his little brother into the house.

Joey stepped into the stairwell but didn’t climb the stairs. Putting his hands out he said in Italian… _Grandma LaFiamma. We need that thing they were using for pictures._

A scraping noise was heard and the android skidded off the edge and into Joey’s hands.

“You want to tell me how you did that?” John asked wide-eyed.

“Doesn’t Grandma LaFiamma talk to you?”

John just looked at him as they left the house.

“How’d you get out of incarceration?”

“Some old lady in a purple dress….“ John began. ”Wait. Didn’t grandma wear purple all the time…”

“Yes. She did.” Joey answered with a grin.

-=-=-=-=-

The images of the bodies in the attic were displayed across a portable monitor that appeared from the bowels of the Humvee. Joe wondered how they had room for the stuff that appeared on demand.

“These images will be downloaded to your stations in a matter of minutes,” LaFiamma explained.

“We believe the woman is Garbonzill’s wife, but we need proper identification from someone who knew her. The man, we think, is her brother. He was a medical missionary in Africa for a number of years and had come home due to health reasons.”

John tapped his brother on the shoulder and whispered something to him. Joe stepped out of range of the microphones and listened to the information TBC had relayed to John.

Walking back up to the microphones, LaFiamma continued. “Even though the face is not visible, according to sources he is her brother. The two were seen dining in a popular restaurant before they disappeared.”

“That big guy behind you looks like a LaFiamma. One of your brothers?” Someone in the group asked.

Without turning, Joey replied, “Yes, he is one of my brothers. John LaFiamma is a Vietnam veteran. He was MIA for a number of years. Colonel Leland Guthrie, of the Texas Bond Company, recently found him working on an Oklahoma horse ranch and I was overjoyed to be reunited with him. I asked him to come today because he helped to renovate Grandma La Fiamma’s attic. And this attic has a diabolical killing machine.”

Turning slightly, Joe looked over his shoulder saying, “Dillard, can we run that video?”

Joe stepped aside and watched the video and the reaction of the people. A steel robot whose arms appeared to be gun barrels stood guard behind the rocking chairs. A pillow was raised up and it was blasted out the window with two sharp reports. You could hear the casings being ejected and the gun being reloaded. The next image showed Frog and Barney easing up the side of the stairway appearing to be out of the line of fire until .. click, click, a red beam scanned the area suddenly taking aim at one and then the other.

“That! Ladies and gentlemen … is why we cannot get the bodies out of the attic. And, to answer a previous question, the bodies are preserved because they are in airtight heavy duty plastic bags.”

-=-=-=-=-

****

Colonel Guthrie stood at parade rest in his office staring at a wide screen TV. “Did you have to mention my name Joseph? That is not something I want blasted around.”

_“With that attitude you will lose him Colonel.” A shimmering image in a purple dress said quietly._

“Who the hell are…” _Oh hell, the purple dressed grandmother._

_“Joseph would have been a fine Marine if Theresa hadn’t butted in. Right now he is discovering who he really is. Joseph is very much like his father. He has his own mind and is not controlled by family or friends. If you wish to keep him Colonel, you had best not give him an ultimatum. If you do, he will walk out. He loves you very much. Too much perhaps. But his destiny is already starting.  You hurt him. I will hurt you.”_

-=-=-=-=-

Theresa LaFiamma’s salad fork slipped from her hand, hitting a water glass at just the right angle shattering it. Her eyes were glued to the tall man behind her nephew Joseph. John Anthony LaFiamma should have been declared dead, but his mother refused to allow it. Now there he stood on national television. Her control of the family was about to disintegrate.

In another private restaurant, Michael “Mikey” LaFiamma’s early dinner was growing cold. Two faces stared at him through his television screen … John and Joseph LaFiamma. John, the big brother that helped Joey when his twin, Jay, killed himself. Joey, who never believed his big brother was dead.

“Mikey? Isn’t that Joey in a Marine officer’s uniform? That’s the Texas Governor. He’s saying Joey’s been put in charge of some investigation… Hey! Isn’t that Grandma LaFiamma’s house?”’

-=-=-=-=-

“The information ... we need … is who built this robot … and how can we disarm it?” Joey said tightly.

“Governor.”

“I have informed Captain LaFiamma that he can pull on any State or City resource he needs to contain this situation.”

A CNN reporter pushed to the front and questioned loudly. “Garbonzill had a flesh eating fish tank in Chicago  ... piranhas. Is that what is in this basement? Have those leaked out?”

Joseph looked at the Governor. “Your call,” the Governor answered.

Before Joey could answer, his cell starting beeping. Checking the ID, he stepped back and listened to Police Air One.

_“Joe. Marines stationed at Ellington Field just did a low fly over with some special high equipment. There appears to be a steel wall, which is imbedded in concrete, around the perimeter of Garbonzill’s land. So it is possible that fish are not beyond that pond.”_

“Dillard!”

After a short conversation with his Lieutenant, Joe stepped back to the microphones.

“Thanks to a US Marine Corps Recon Unit that is at Ellington Field, we have images of what appears to be a steel wall around most of Garbonzill’s property.”

“It’s coming up now, Captain.”

Everyone watched the panning of the video from the east side to the west of the house. On the east side, the wall was tight to the house. But on the west side, there was a gape because of a large centuries old tree.

Captain Joseph LaFiamma decided honesty was the best policy. “Yes, we believe piranhas are in the basement tank. How many have leaked out, no one knows. From these images, it is possible that the public park isn’t contaminated. I have HPD officers that are going to be doing testing there to find out.”

“Looking at these images shows us the leakage is here, (pointing to the tree). This explains why these three houses are being threatened. The woman who died – second house up from this one – didn’t die from being eaten. She had several bites on her arms, but she bled to death according to the coroner. The bites, themselves, were not fatal. First responders found evidence that she was tempting to do first aid and didn’t realize how seriously she was injured.”

“The third house, where Jeffrey Carter was rescued from, has water in the basement. They lost a small dog that went down to investigate something. Their fish are coming in through their septic system…which would be a food supply for this fish.”

“Now ... the question that is on everyone’s mind  ... including mine… is how do we kill these bastards? I had to do a Google search to find that answer.” Joey admitted.

A look of disbelief crossed several faces. Someone laughed. Someone said Google has the answer for anything.

“The best way … seriously … is to hit them with a hammer and crush them. However, finding them … containing them … this is going to take time, energy, and patience. A piranha can live in just a half a cup of water. So draining the fish tank with a hoses small enough that a silver dollar piranha can’t get through may be a challenge. Still we need to try.”

Before any questions were able to be asked or answered, the loud noise of a low flying military helicopter filled the air.

Joe watched John step out of the Humvee and motion him over. Looking up, he watched the chopper hover over the street before landing in front of Jeffrey’s house.

“They got some imagery of the house, bro.” Johnny said.

“They tell you what it is?”

“It’s wired to blow.” John answered. “Dillard is pulling all his equipment in and is moving the Humvee up to the end of the street.”

“No way! Tell him to move it down towards the corner. I’ll move the media back.”

Joe walked back to the microphones telling everyone, including the Governor, to move their vans and their equipment to the parking lot at the end of the street. The news conference would finish up there. Then Captain LaFiamma turned and jogged up the street to the landing chopper.

-=-=-=-=-

“What do you think is going on?” Lundy asked Lee as the two sat in Lee’s living room watching the news conference.

“Must be something with the house,” Lee answered. “Didn’t know the Marines had people at Ellington Field.”

“He looks pretty sharp in that uniform. They won’t keep him, will they?” Levon asked watching his partner jog up to the chopper that was landing on the street.

“They sure the hell better not!” Guthrie growled. “I’d like to know who activated him.”

“President Bush did. The Governor said as much when the news conference started.”

-=-=-=-=-

“Major! What the hell you doing in Texas?” Joey exclaimed as the Marine Major stepped out of the military bird.

“When did you make Captain?” Major Menno questioned.

“When I did something I can’t tell you about,” Joe replied with a grin. “What do you have for me?”

“Step into my humble abode and I’ll show you,” Major Mark Menno offered.

“Nav!” Joey said reaching a hand to the navigator. “Thought you retired.”

“Lost my wife and daughter to a drunk driver. Marcus told me to stay in. It’s been the right decision.” Curtis Adams replied.

“What is Marcus up to?” Joey asked as the chopper went airborne.

“Some damn Chicago Marine got him turned on to being a lawyer. He’s about to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School.”

“I think Mary’s the one who had a big influence. I just sort of … ahhh… helped.”

“You and I are going to have a talk, Joseph.”

“Any time.”

Pointing to two monitors, Major Menno explained what they found. “We did some scans of your house, Joe. Talked to your man Dillard. He said there appear to be detonators in the garage. I’d like to see the blueprints on this place. There are several layers of construction. The odd thing we found … is that the attic floor is reinforced with some kind of metal.”

“Jerry ...swing around and show the Captain what we discovered about the roof.”

-=-=-=-=--

The news media reluctantly moved back a block to a small mini mall and set up in their parking lot. Dillard angled the Humvee at the start of Iris Lane so only one vehicle could go around and into the lane.

 “John,” Dillard asked. “What did they find?”

“All Major Menno said was it was programmed to blow.”

“Those things along the wall in the garage, I bet. They have to be triggered by something.”

_Beep, beep, beep, beep._

Dillard pulled his phone from his pocket. “Yeah, Captain.”

_“Call those cops and find out if they found the blueprints. We need them now!”_

-=-=-=-=-=-

Four cops came together outside Hank Carleton’s downtown office. “Let’s hope they find them at this guy’s house. Dillard called to say LaFiamma needs them now! It looks like this Garbonzill rigged his house to blow.”

-=-=-=-

Judge Godfrey arrived at the upscale home of Hank Carleton after police requested his presence. Mrs Carleton was not allowing the police to enter the house and the threat of arrest did not deter her. When she mentioned Godfrey’s name, he was called.

Judge Earl Godfrey explained that the search warrant allowed police to look in every closet, every room, anywhere in the house to find the blueprints for 1935 Iris Lane. Godfrey knew the man had a home office and did most of his work here. Finally, Mrs Carleton conceded and lead police to her husband’s study and the huge walk-in safe he had there.

“The house numbers are on the ends of the tubes,” the woman said quietly as she watched police open drawers and closets in the room.

“Bingo! We have two here. JJ… you want to look at these. See if it is what LaFiamma needs.”

“Now we just need Mr Carleton. Do you know where your husband is, Mrs Carleton?”

-==-=-=-=-

Major Menno and Captain LaFiamma walked into the Iris Lane garage. Menno stopped abruptly looking at the tanks along the walls.

“Joseph! These two with the green tops are oxygen! Someone in this house is on life support. And the others …. IV vitamins and liquid food supplements.”

In his head Joey heard, _‘Pappy hates bugs.’_

“HOLY SHIIITTT!” Joey yelled turning on a dime, he sprinted toward the Humvee.

“JOHN! BEAR! DILLARD! BERKSHIRE!” Joey shouted at the top of his lungs.

Seeing an EMT unit and recognizing one of the EMTs, Joe called, “AMY! PUT AERO MED ON STANDBY!”

Everyone within earshot came running.

“Joseph,” Menno said, “We can fly the person to the Trauma Center. Aero Med would not allow you or John to go along.”

_Your grandma was a gypsy woman, wasn’t she, Major?_

_As was your great-grandmother, Joseph. I figured that out long ago. You know we drove everyone nuts talking like this._

LaFiamma smiled at his former boss. Looking around he explained, “Major Menno explained that the green topped canisters in the garage are oxygen tanks. And the others are vitamin and food supplements in liquid form. Someone in this house is on life support… and the only place possible is under that water mattress.”

“Berkshire! Put an APB out for that architect. With Garbonzill dead and probably Blakely, Carleton is the only other one who knows this house. Get him here. If this person is who I think he is… than Carleton is an accessory to helping to cover-up a kidnapping.”

-=-=-=-=-

They stood in the living room as Joey explained his thoughts. “Ten years ago, my grandfather, and John’s, was kidnapped after his wife’s funeral. Vanished without a trace. I believe Garbonzill forced Pappy to live in this identical house now that Iris, our grandmother, was dead. What happened six years later for the addition, I don’t have a clue. First thing though, is to get the mattress off. John… Bear … I figure the two of you can probably do it. Lift the corners up and off toward the bathroom and put it in the shower.”

“Frog… I want you to film everything. And anyone with a phone put it away. If you are thinking about putting this on social media … Mick and Barney can shut you down faster than you can say succotash.”

Mick and Barney hustled out of the house and to the Humvee.

“Amy, hang loose.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Robert, Tony and Angela LaFiamma stared at their mother, Theresa LaFiamma.

“I thought you said John was killed in Vietnam,” Tony growled coldly. “Blown to bits. He looks pretty damn good to me. And probably could have used his family’s support coming home from that awful war.”

Robert stared at this mother. He was too mad to even talk. Finally he said, “I called Joey two years ago to see how he was doing. He swore at me. Told me all about how Theresa had written him off because he had to be a good cop. Then he told me who killed his father… that made me puke up my lunch. Why did you alienate him Mother? What did Uncle Anthony ever do that caused **you** to order Dad’s brother killed?”

“I have a scrapbook of everything Joey’s done in Houston.” Angela said quietly.“He and his partner are one of the best teams the Houston cops have. He never allows his picture to be in anything, just his name. Why Mother? Are you afraid he’ll outshine all of us? Why did you forbid Joey to call any of us? Not one cousin has ever heard from him.”

Theresa LaFiamma stared at three of her five children. “I thought it was best for the family.”

Michael LaFiamma stood mute in the front hall of his house. His gut tightened as he listened.  When silence came, he turned abruptly walking out the door he’d just walked through. A picture of a cathedral fell as he slammed the door.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“It’s full of jelly,” Bear announced. “Come on John, this should be easy for us.”

As the mattress was lifted off, the people surrounding the bed gasped at the sight of a thin, gray-haired man wearing just undershorts, oxygen cannulas on his face, and a port tube straight into his stomach.

_Joseph! Iris said you’d come._

_Pappy… tell me how to get you out of there._

“Everyone out into the living room!” Major Menno ordered. “Except John, Joseph, Amy, Bear and Dillard. Anyone from LaFiamma’s Team.., be sure to keep the media back. We do not want this man spread across the universe. Curtis! Get the bird up. Keep any news choppers out of the area. Call the airport. Tell them we need a no fly zone here.”

_Pappy. Does Carleton, the architect, know how to open this?_

_He is an idiot. He almost dumped me in the piranha tank._

Joe turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder. “Joey. Use this. He might be able to direct you. You should be able to hear him through that plastic.”

Joe nodded his thanks and put on the stethoscope. Leaning over the bed, he listened intently as his grandfather explained how to open the box.

Captain LaFiamma leaned back on his hunches. He said a silent prayer.

“Okay. I am going to explain it … and then we will do it. It has to be done simultaneously or the floor will open up and he will be in the fish tank.”

Amy, who had been kneeling next to Joey, stood up saying, “I think we all need to stand and join hands and say a prayer. Then let’s get Pappy out of here.”

-=-=-=-

“Major.”

“John. Joseph. On the side drawer,” Menno ordered as the two men dropped to their knees.

“Bear. You’ll have to bend over. Don’t lean on the bed.”

“Gotcha.”

Major Menno looked around the room. Then he saw them. Joe’s purpled dress grandmother and his black dressed great-grandmother.

“One…two… three -- handles up.”

Click … click …. Click.

“PULL!” Menno shouted/

John and Joseph scrambled out of the way. as the drawer slid free.

John LaFiamma gently lifted his fragile grandfather up and laid him on the gurney as Amy and her partner took off Pappy’s tubes.

Pappy was reaching for Joey who immediately was there.

After his father was killed Joey had spent a lot of time at his grandparents’ house. He was probably closer to his grandfather than any LaFiamma cousin. Now Pappy was trying to tell him something and too many people were talking.

“QUIET!”

Silence descended on the house as Pappy explained about the bank books in the safe. Joey smiled, telling him he already had found them.

_Right now, you are going to the hospital. John is going with you. He did not die in Vietnam. I don’t know why Theresa wanted the family to think so. He will be your translated._

_I cannot talk to him like this._

_But you can speak Italian and he can translate.  I have things to do here Pappy. I will be there as soon as I can._

“Okay. You come to hospital as soon as you can. Theresa was wrong keeping you out of the Marines. You are a good leader Joseph.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joe watched the Marine helicopter take off toward the Trauma Center. He pulled his phone and called Dr Ezra Stone to alert him what was coming.

“Captain.”

Joey turned expecting to see one of his men; instead he looked up into the concerned eyes of the Chief of Police.

“Chief. It’s been one hell of a day and it’s not even dinner time yet.”

“Why don’t we sit in your Humvee… get out of the sun.”

“Sure.”

As he approached the Humvee, Bear, Mick and Dillard came out. Then he saw Joe Gonzales sitting in the passenger seat.

“Gonzo. Does your father still do fencing?”

“Sure, what do you need?”

“We don’t want to close the garage. Might trigger a bomb. Need something that can fit in there tightly and that someone can’t climb over.”

“I’ll measure it and give him a call. I know he has some weird pieces.”

-=-=-=-

It was only after Joe and the Chief sat down that Joey noticed one of Pappy’s catheters had sprayed his uniform pants.

“I wondered what stunk,” LaFiamma said looking down. “Will have to get a ride home to change.”

Looking up, Joe saw the most serious face he’d ever seen on Houston’s Chief of Police. “What’s up, Chief?”

“I just apologized to Lundy and offered him his job back. He turned me down.”

“Did he accept the apology?”

“He did.”

“He and my brother John are getting into the horse boarding business. They are setting up … uh, bunk and board your horse … for people that travel with horses. Especially those on the rodeo circuit. My brother went through a terrible war and no one in the LaFiamma family other than my mother and I supported him. Horses turned him from a killing machine back into a human being.”

“I met Colonel Guthrie. He said you were coming in as his partner. But, I don’t see you doing that. Personally, after watching you today, I think you would get bored quite fast.”

“Before today… I was looking for a boring job. As things progressed here, I knew I would not be happy being a bondsman. Though a private detective might be interesting. I don’t think you’re here to chat, Chief. What’s on your mind?”

“I got a very interesting call about an hour ago. From a man who I know doesn’t call Police Chiefs on a regular basis.”

“The President called you.” Joey chuckled already knowing the answer.

“President Bush is quite the informed man. He told me things about my department that I didn’t even know. I called a department head meeting and learned what they had been putting together … had put together in fact. They were just trying to find an opportunity to discuss it with me.

“They want an overall Chief of Detectives. Someone who can deal with multiple things at the same time. Someone who isn’t afraid to step on toes to get something done.  The Chief of Homicide … Burglary … theft … etc… would report to one man that could help coordinate other divisions into a case. Or could inform other divisions that they are working the same case.”

Joey just stared at the man.

“I found out from Juvenile that you are working with trouble kids at Taylor Orphanage. Someone else told me you speak seven or eight languages and that is how you got on Colonel Guthrie’s team. You replaced three linguists . I watched you handle the Governor as though he were an ordinary man. Plus, you weren’t put off by the reporters who were in your face.”

“Sounds like an interesting job. It would definitely not be boring. Are you offering it to me?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll need time to think about it. Some other people are depending on me but I should be able to handle them. Once this thing is over, I’d like to meet with those who put the job together. After that, I’ll give you an answer.”

-=-=-=-=-

Stepping out of the Humvee, Joe noticed that fencing was already up.

“Captain”, Bear said quietly, “we didn’t know if we should or not, but we put the water bed back together, including that weird mattress and the coverlet.”

“I think it is good that you did. Otherwise something might have happened without that weight there.”

“Dillard. Can you take charge? I need to find a ride to my apartment and change. And I need to get to the hospital. Where’s your son? Do you need to get him?”

“Bear’s going with Gabby to help move his sister. Mick, Barney, Frog and I will hold down the fort. I talked to Major Menno. The press are hanging out at the Trauma Center.  His bird will be staying with us. The cops patrolling the public park said no fish have come for the floating burgers.”

“Well, that is good. What about the houses up the street?”

“Jeffrey’s dad tried to get in the house but couldn’t do it. They are staying at TBC.  John called and said Pappy was asking for you. Berkshire has volunteered to be your driver. Colonel said to keep him posted. Oh, someone named Carolyn called to say the dog was in the USA and should be arriving tonight.”

“HOT DAMN! About time that dog got here?” LaFiamma exclaimed.

They all looked at him.

Joe looked around at the faces staring at him. “It’s Chaco. Sgt Travis Tortorella’s bomb sniffing dog. I’ve been trying to get him for three years. Have spent three thousand dollars paying who knows who to get him out of Iraq.”

“That beautiful Shepherd that only responds to Italian?” Mick questioned.

“Yes.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Turn right here, Berky. Go slow… to G242 and park there.”

“Shouldn’t your Cobra be parked here?”

“Sold the Cobra. Been looking at SUVs,” Joey remarked into the startled face of Officer Randy Berkshire.

:”YOU. SOLD. THAT. CAR?” Randy gasped. They all knew that car was LaFiamma’s baby.

“I did. Come on, I need to change and dump these pants into the washer.” Joey said exiting the police cruiser.

Joe picked up his mail in an overflowing mail box, dumping it on his kitchen counter with the other stuff Dillard and Sandy had brought in.

Stripping off his shirt, he grabbed a loose hanger that was caught on the spiral stairs to the loft bedroom. He put the hanger through one of the cabinet handlers so he could take off the Captain bars and lapel pin off his day uniform..

Berkshire sat on one of the bar stools sorting through LaFiamma’s mail putting important stuff in one pile and junk mail in another.

“Hey Joey! Chastang Ford is having a midnight sale tonight. We could stop there on the way. And if you are getting a dog, you should get an Expedition not the Esca….” Berkshire’s mouth dropped open as Joey walked out of the laundry room in dress blue Marine pants and a white tee shirt.

“Holy shit man. The women are going to be all over you.”

LaFiamma burst out laughing. Five years ago that would be the case but not since he and Guthrie had reconnected.

“How’s the gas mileage between the two?” Joe asked as he changed officer bars from the tan shirt to a white, short-sleeved dress shirt.

_Officers bars. Name pin. Presidential seal. Don’t need the rest._

Quickly looking through the mail, he tossed most of it into a bucket that said ‘to be shredded.’ The rest he put into a zippered pouch he pulled from a kitchen drawer.

“So, you think we should take this flyer and this fake key and see what we get?”

“Why the hell not! No one’s called you yet. I know some shortcuts and who is going to stop a police car?”

Halfway to the door, Joe stopped. Walking back to the phone, he checked messages and listened to the message from Sandy and the discussion they had already had. Then he remembered he better take a couple of checks and walked back into the laundry room to his safe.

-=-=-=-

 

 


	3. The Marine

 

“Stop by the magnetic blue.” Joey quipped. Something about this car really turned him on.

“Yeah man, that matches your pants. Has to be good luck.”

-=-=-=-

Four salesmen watched the police car pull in and stop.

“Wonder what the cop wants?” one asked.

“OHMYGOD… Look at that Marine!” Mindy yelped as she headed toward the door.

“Chase! Go with her.” The Sales Manager barked.

-=-=-=-

“It’s unlocked, Joe,” Berkshire said as he opened the tail gate. “Plenty of room for the dog and it looks like these back seats fold down.”

“Captain. May we help you?” Morgan Chase questioned walking up to the Marine.

Mindy stood star struck fumbling with her phone to take a picture of him. She was so engrossed she didn’t see him approach.

“Sorry, ma’am, no pictures allowed. I am a Marine not a TV star.” Joe responded tightly.

“B-b-but…”

It took Chase a minute to realize what was happening and who this Marine was.

“Mindy. I’ll handle this. You better get that paper work finished. Those people will be back in an hour to pick up their car.”

“But-but-but… he’s gorgeous!”

Ignoring her, LaFiamma turned to the salesman. “I need something like this that has room for a military dog. I’ve been looking at the Escapes, but this looks like it would be better suited. And I love the color. Could we take it for a test drive?”

“Sure. I’ll run up and get the key,” Chase said.

“What about this key,” Berky said. “The ad says try on any car.”

Chase knew it would never work but he couldn’t say no. He watched as the Marine interacted with the cop. They were obviously friends.

“Okay, Berkshire! I will try the key.” Joey finally growled, sliding into the driver’s seat.

Joseph LaFiamma and Morgan Chase stared at each other, their mouths gaping open, as the Ford Expedition roared to life.

-=-=-=-

Mindy stopped halfway through the showroom door. “Chase needs the key for that Expedition.”

The Sales Manager already had the key in his hand, though seeing how she reacted out there, he’d decided to bring the keys out himself.

-=-=--

Joey watched the sales manager walk to the car. _Grandma LaFiamma. You are full of surprises._

_Joey. You’ve had a tough day. The dog is coming tonight. Use that money for something else._

LaFiamma turned the car off and got out. Handing the key to Chase, Joe said, ‘You try it.”

Chase looked at the dealership’s Sales Manager who gave him a nod to do it.

Once again the Expedition roared to life. The $40,000 car was going to be his for free.

“I’ll be glad to pay for it,” Joey stated. “I know this is a fluke.”

“We stand by our advertising, Captain. Step inside and we’ll do the paperwork.”

“I really need it tonight,” Joey said. “Is that possible?”

-=-=-=-=-

Paperwork signed. Temporary plate on the back window. Car was being serviced and gassed up, when Joey’s cell rang. He didn’t recognize the number.

“Captain LaFiamma. What?” Joe was shocked as he was told Chaco was in Houston and ready for delivery.

“I’m at Chastang Ford picking up a car. Can you bring him here?”

“What is it?” Berkshire asked.

“The dog is in Houston. They are bringing it here.”

“Can’t wait to see him. Dillard said he’s beautiful.”

“Not sure how beautiful he’ll be from traveling, but we’ll have to stop at PetSmart on the way to the Trauma Center. Know any shortcuts?”

“I do. And you can take your dog in the store with you.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph stood by his new vehicle amazed that it was his. The color was perfect and there was plenty of room for Chaco. Now all he needed was the dog.

A panel truck pulled up stopping opposite Berky’s police cruiser. Joe did not recognize the woman that got out but he did recognize the dog that was in the cage in the truck and growled as she turned to let him out.

Walking toward the woman, he said, “That is not the way to treat a war hero.”

“War hero? It’s a dog.” The haggard woman replied gruffly.

“Does Carolyn know how you treat her dogs?” Joe questioned. He for sure was going to tell her.

“This dog doesn’t understand English. Just sits.”

Losing his patience, Joe walked up to the crate and unlatched it, speaking in Italian as he did so. The thumping of Chaco’s tail shook the whole truck.

“I believe you have a knapsack of things that belong to him.”

“Yes.. Right here,” she replied handling the sack to LaFiamma.

“Chaco! Venuto qui!”  (come here)

The dog charged out of the cage as the woman screamed. The shepherd ran straight for the Marine waiting for him on one knee.

Yelping, barking, rolling on his back for a tummy rub, the two got reacquainted, as cell phones came up taking videos of the happy reunion.

“Sieda!” (sit)

They were all amazed when the dog sat, his tail swishing back and forth as Joe opened up the knapsack. He took out a collar that sported a Purple Heart pinned on one side. Next a harness was strapped around his middle… with an American flag and US Marine Corp War Dog on each flank.

Joey would have loved to dress this woman down but he had other things to do. He would certainly tell Carolyn she needed to find someone else to deliver her dogs.

“Something is missing here!” Joe barked sharply. “A blue and white blanket about two inches thick.”

“That was full of holes. I put it in the trash.” She said indigently.

Everyone, including Berky, moved back when a dark look came over the Marine’s face.

“I suggest you call your family and get it out of the trash. This officer will follow you home to retrieve it. If you ever transport one of these dogs again … which I doubt you ever will when Carolyn finds out what you have done… everything that comes with the dog stays with the dog. THAT blanket belongs to his handler who was killed. You better damn well have it.”

The woman stared at him dumbfounded.

To add to his point, Joey pointed to Chaco’s Purple Heart. “This Purple Heart is because he was wounded in action. This dog is treated the same as any military veteran, and I sincerely hope you would not put a human soldier in a crate like that just because you felt he was worthless.”

“Joseph.” Berkshire spoke quietly. “I’ll follow her home. Text me with what you want from PetSmart. I’ll pick it up and bring it by the hospital. Your grandfather’s waiting.”

Joey nodded, then turned on a dime and walked to his new car, Chaco trotting along next to him.

-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma knew he needed to cool down. Rather than have Berky buy the stuff for the dog, Joe drove to PetSmart.

Snapping the lease on, he entered the store. It was either the TV personality they saw or the blue pants, but he immediately had three people ready to help.

“Need three dozen yellow tennis balls. Fluorescent if you have them.”

“We do.”

“Water, food dish on a stand… “’

“Shelly, aisle 5.”

“Dog food. Could you show me what you have?”

“Sure can,” the man said pulling a cart out.

“Need three dog beds…and something for the back of an SUV.”

“We have quite a variety here.” The man, who wore a name tag with Sid on it, answered.

Thirty minutes later, Joe had two carts full of stuff. He pulled out his wallet and Sid stopped him.“It’s on us, Captain. We know what it takes to get one of this dogs home.”

Joey turned to his dog saying,”l'opinione li ringrazia” (say thank you)

Chaco sat back on his hunches waving his front paws and let out a bark.

“Thank you.” Joey responded humbly.

-=-=-=-

Berkshire texted Joe as he got to the Trauma Center. The blanket was found in the bottom of the trash bin. He made the woman’s two teenage sons get it.

Joe told Berky he’d stopped at PetSmart and was shocked when they wouldn’t let him pay for the stuff. He also asked his friend if the hospital would like him take the dog inside.

_“Try it. He looks like a service dog.”_

_“_ Check with Dillard. See how things are going there _.”_

-=-=-=-=-

Joey parked his new car in the ER lot and clipped the new shorter lead on Chaco’s collar. He walked in unheeded. No one stopped him for having a dog with him. He checked at the information desk for Guido LaFiamma and was directed to the fifth floor.

“So far so good, Chaco,” Joey said as he stepped into the elevator.

Stepping off the elevator, Joe looked both ways. To his left, halfway down the hall was a Marine a parade rest.

“Tallone.” (Heel)

The Marine came to attention with a click of his heels. “They are waiting for you Captain.”

“Who are they?”

“Dr Stone. Someone named Michael from Chicago…”

“No way in hell!” Joey growled low in his throat pushing the door open.

-=-=-=-=-

The click of Chaco’s nails on the floor stopped the one-sided conversation in the room. In Italian, Joe told his dog to sit and stay. Then he turned his attention to the bed where his grandfather lay propped up on pillows.

“Where’s John?” Joseph asked tightly, not looking at Uncle Mikey.

Ezra smiled at Joe and grinned towards the dog. “Levon called to say he was needed at the ranch. Some horses were arriving from Oklahoma and John was needed there. Your uncle arrived about thirty minutes ago.”

“My uncle’s not welcome here,” Joe answered, looking at his grandfather.

_You doing okay, Pappy. Sorry I’m late._

_It was Theresa who ordered the hit on Anthony. Michael has asked the family to shun her. Has cut off her money._

LaFiamma stared at his uncle. Finally he said, “Blakely’s dead.”

“Did you kill him?”

“Garbonzill’s fish killed him.”

Michael LaFiamma sat heavily down in the chair next to the bed.

“I was not aware of how Theresa used her marriage to me to her advantage. She wanted something from Anthony and when he refused, she ordered the hit. I will never forgive her for that. She also cut John from the family…as she did you. When I moved you to Houston rather than New York, she was furious. So, she cut you off from the family even though I was at fault.”

“I wondered why no one called. Not even Christmas cards. It was like I didn’t exist.”

“You have become the man ... the leader … Anthony knew you could be. From what I have seen on TV today, he would be very proud of you.”

“She kept me from serving four years in the Corps. I wanted to make a career of it. I liked the life style.” Joey admitted.

“I don’t understand why she did it,” Mikey said sadly. “We have had others who were in the service, but she coveted you for some reason.”

“My mother asked her to keep me safe. But being put into a bubble is not what she meant.”

Changing the subject, Joe questioned his grandfather. “Pappy. Do you know about the shooter in the attic? How do we stop him?”

“A Hollywood movie man put that together. Mrs Carleton knows who it is.”

“Mrs Carleton? The architect’s wife?” Joey exclaimed,

Joey pulled his cell phone and called Berkshire. “Berky. Arrest Mrs Carleton! She is responsible for the shooter in the attic.”

_“They found Carleton in his downtown office. Dead. Possible suicide.”_

“Shit. Okay. That search warrant for the Carleton house should still be good. Get a team over there and go through every damn drawer, closet… everything, especially his office where the blueprints were found. See if they can find out who owns that house.”

_“Did the Chief talk to you about that job?”_

“He did.”

_“I think you should take it. In a way, you are already doing it.”_

Joey looked up and saw the Marine paramedic watching him. “You’re right Berkshire, I am already doing it.”

“Pappy. The Marines scanned the roof with high tech equipment. There are wires that indicate it is wired to blow up. Do you know what triggers that?”

“No. Carleton put that together when you were transferred to Houston.”

“What does me coming to ….” And then the youngest grandson of the youngest son of Iris and Guido LaFiamma stopped.

“Theresa was in on your kidnapping.” Joey responded quietly, his mind going through years of memory.

“I believe so.” Guido answered flatly.

“I’ll take care of it Joey,” Mikey replied standing.

“The hell you will!” Captain LaFiamma growled as he moved to the hospital room’s phone.

-=-=-=-

Captain Riddle, Head of the Cold Case Division of the Chicago Police Department, knew he should go home. But one case was bugging him. He was surprised when his phone rang.

“Captain Riddle.”

_“Joseph LaFiamma.”_

“Joey… you have become a TV celebrity. What can I do for you?”

_“I have just solved one of your old cases ... the kidnapping of Guido LaFiamma.”_

“He’s in Houston,” Riddle answered with a laugh.

“ _He is, in fact, in a hospital bed next to me. He’s been a prisoner in that house that’s been on TV …for the last ten years. He has just told me that Theresa LaFiamma was behind his kidnapping, and has known where he was all this time.”_

“Joseph!” Riddle shouted bolting from his chair. “You have made my day! I have wanted to cuff that woman for years. I’ll get a squad over there immediately…. With no bail! I know just the judge that will do it.”

_“You can contact me through Houston PD or the Texas Bond Company. Keep me posted. I will not release any pictures of him being rescued until I hear from you.”_

-=-=-=-

Turning back to his grandfather, Joey noticed, for the first time, that Dr Ezra Stone was still in the room.

“How’s he doing, Ezra?”

“He is in remarkably good health. I have talked with Levon and Guthrie. Plus Mrs Schroeder, the new chef at TBC. He would be best at TBC. Mrs Schroeder will put him on a diet that will gradually get his system to accept solid food.”

“Guthrie agreed to this?” Joe was surprised that the Colonel would agree to have another LaFiamma under his roof.

“He did.” Ezra answered as his beeper buzzed.

-=-=-=-

Joey waited until after Uncle Mikey left before approaching his friend Dr Stone on sneaking Pappy out of the hospital. Ezra insisted that he go to TBC but after talking with both Guthrie and Delvin and discovering a new bodyguard spoke Italian, Joe thought that was too much of a coincidence. Later they would discover the man was on Theresa LaFiamma’s payroll.

Captain LaFiamma and Lieutenant Dillard had a short discussion via a hospital staff phone. After learning that Dillard’s mother was a retired dietitian and his father a retired Federal agent, Joey asked if they could be a ‘safe house’ for Pappy.

Arrangements were made to have Marine guards on the hospital room for three more days. At noon the third day, a big production would ensue saying goodbye to the patient while police stayed hidden in the room to see if any attempt was made on the ‘patient.’ The trap would snare the new Italian TBC bodyguard.

-=-=-=-=

Joe and Chaco took the stairs down to the Emergency Room. Walking to his new Expedition no one seemed to notice him. He rearranged the 50 lb. bag of dog food and other doggie stuff before folding down the back seats.

Chaco settled into a new cushy, padded dog bed as Joe slowed rolled around to a side entrance where he helped his grandfather into the back. Joe gave Chaco the ‘guard’ command as Ezra handed him instructions for the patient.

“Joey. I talked with your Taylor boys. They are glued to the TV watching everything you do on television.”

“Thanks Ezra.”

-=-=-=-=-

After delivering his grandfather into the capable hands of Mr and Mrs Dillard, Joey drove to Iris Lane. If he was going to sleep tonight, it would be in the Humvee or in the back of his SUV with his dog. The SUV was far better than some of the places he’d slept when on a mission with Colonel Guthrie.

-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma’s eyes blinked open as his dog moved into a protective stance and began to growl. Seconds later there was a rap on the window.

“Hey sleepyhead!” Mick called. “One of the neighbors just delivered breakfast.”

Joey popped open the tailgate, stretching as he eased out. Chaco watered a couple of trees before coming back to watch his new bowls being filled with food and water.

“Have we let some of the residents return?” Joey questioned, noticing for the first time that there was a white tent set up in the middle of the street.

“Barney, Frog, me and a couple of cops went door to door last night while you were at the hospital. All the houses that are hooked up to city water were deemed safe. Four families have come back home. None of them have young kids. The others have opted to wait a few days.”

“Where is the breakfast from?”

“Cracker Barrel.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Johnny!” Levon called as he walked toward his kitchen. He could hear John talking with someone but didn’t know if he was on the phone or it was one of the horsemen who had arrived last night.

John LaFiamma’s eyes were on the kitchen door that lead to the hall. As soon as Levon appeared, he immediately switched to Italian which put a frown on his lover’s face.

_“Levon walk in?”_

“Yeah.”

_“You two getting along?”_

_“Si.”_

_“Does he understand you need to go slow?”_

“Gli ho detto perchè ho bisogno di” (I told him why I need to.)

_“Use the room upstairs John. I don’t know when Lee and I will get there.”_

“Il colonnello ha denominato la notte scorsa per vedere se ci fossimo sentiti da voi. Ha preoccupato Joey. Preoccupato voi stanno camminando via da lui.”  

( _Colonel called last night to see if we had heard from you. He's worried Joey. Worried you're walking away from him.)._

_“This has become a very complicated case, John. I found out that Aunt Theresa is who cut you off from the family. And me too. She wanted Uncle Mikey to send me to New York not Houston. She was in on Pappy’s kidnapping.”_

“WHAT? She kidnapped her own father-in-law?” John gasped. “That… that means she’s known where he was all this time!”

_“Yeah, bro. Which is why I didn’t take Pappy to TBC. They have a new bodyguard who just happens to be fluent in Italian.”_

“He appeared out of the blue. Levon and Delvin are suspicious of him.”

“Let me talk to him, John.” Levon asked pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee.

“The Chief was here yesterday. Apologized for firing me. Said they should have investigated Browning’s statements. Offered me my old job back.”

_“Yeah”, he told me. “Said you turned him down. Did you tell him about the horse project you and John are doing?”_

“No. Figured it was none of his business.”

_“Yeah, figured you didn’t. I told him what you and John were working on. That there was a real need for it and you both being known in the horse world, it should work out well.”_

“Estaban called just before midnight last night. Said the rumor mill is rabid about you coming on as a coordinator… director…of all the detective units.”

_Joey let out a long sigh, taking in the front of the Iris house, then moving over every inch of the garage._

_“I told the Chief I would think about it. Us being partners has sort of been ripped apart with me here and you with the horses. You are really a horseman, Levon. Always have been. You’re in your element now and you have another LaFiamma who is just like you.”_

_“I am coordinating the investigation of this property… using the Marine Corps and the Houston Police. Last night when my dog arrived...._

“DOG? WHAT DOG?” Levon barked almost spilling his coffee all of the eggs John had just put on the table.

_“He’s a war dog, Lundy. Belonged to a friend in an Army unit. The dog was trained in Italian. Since I know the dog, I was allowed to apply for him. I’ve been working to get him here for three years. Oh yeah. I have a new vehicle too. Anyway, after Chaco arrived I realized being a bondsman would be too boring.”_

“You better call Lee. He hasn’t heard from you in twenty-four hours and he’s taking it out on his staff _.”_ Levon explained as he mopped up the spilled coffee.

-=-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma thanked the Greenlee’s for buying breakfast for his men. Then he and Dillard walked through the house.

“My dad called this morning. Said your grandfather has a wicked sense of humor. Now I know where you got yours from.”

“Right about here,” Joey said pointing up to the hall light fixture, “has to be that robot. But I don’t see anything that tells us how to get there. Any word from the police finding Mrs Carleton?”

“Haven’t heard. You look damn sharp in those blues. Maybe you should go to the police station and rattle a few cages.”

Walking back out the front door, Joey said, “There is something about that car in the garage that bothers me. It is just a shell. Gear shift. Keys in the ignition. Seats in the front and back but no floor. No engine. Wheels but no axles.”

“You think it has to do with the bomb? Or maybe another way to the basement? What about Chaco? Could he sniff out a bomb here?” Dillard asked looking around for the dog.

-=-=-=-

Frog sprinted to where Dillard and LaFiamma were standing. “CAPTAIN! Mrs Carleton’s been found. Berkshire says to get to Headquarters fast! The Homicide chief is pushing his weight around and wants in on this case. Figures the reason you haven’t put anything out is because you found your grandfather dead.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma walked into the main entrance of Police Headquarters with his dog at his side. No one stopped him as he walked to the bank of elevators. The Desk Sergeant just nodded to him as several officers said “Morning Captain.” That’s when Joey realized they had no clue who he was.

The elevator was just closing when he stuck his hand in to stop it. As he stepped in, he winked at Annie. Sgt Annie Hartung stared at him and then started grinning.

“Morning darlin’’,” Joey drawled, motioning Chaco to her as the doors closed.

Straightening, LaFiamma looked at the two plainclothes detectives.

“This your boyfriend, Annie?” One of the detectives asked.

“How you doin’?” Joey asked her before looking straight into the faces of the two men.

The two detectives didn’t recognize Joe until the elevator dinged at the third floor.

“LAFIAMMA!!?”

“Holy hell! We heard…but….shit, no one’s going to… that’s real, isn’t it?” One chortled as he pointed to the Presidential Seal pin on Joe’s lapel.

“Yeah, Brookfield it’s real,” Joey answered holding the door for Annie.

“Joey, you stop by before you leave, you hear?”

“I’ll try, Annie. You boys getting off?”

“What? Yeah.”

Shaking his head, Joe pushed the LL button, wondering if he did want to work with the idiots that were cops here.

-=-=-=-

“Look, Ramono. You have no justification here! LaFiamma is in charge of everything related to this case.” Sgt Berkshire barked into the face of Lieutenant Ramono.

“Yeah, well, he isn’t here, is here? No pictures have come out of the person they found so obviously the guy is dead. And if the guy is dead that is Homicide’s …”

“You know Ramono; I thought you were smarter than that. If you have muddied my case, I will put you in jail … at Fort Hood.” LaFiamma barked as he walked up to the group.

Berkshire grinned at him as others stared, their mouths hanging to the floor.

Joey pulled his beeping phone and said, “Captain LaFiamma.”

_“Joseph. We have Theresa in custody. She is lawyering up. To go for no bail we need that rescue up.”_

“You got it Captain. I can have it up on AP, CNN, BBC and Reuters in less than five minutes. Any locals will pick it up from there.”

“ _He’s protected.”_

“Damn straight he’s protected. Picked the Marines myself. Okay. Keep me posted.”

Silently they watched him punched two numbers into his phone.

“Dillard! Need Pappy’s rescue up on all news stations ASAP. Start before the mattress is picked up until he is airborne.”

_“You want people to see the bugs and lizards. What he was staring at?”_

“Yes.”

_“Okay. Mick is getting it set to go now. I talked to Guthrie. Told him to watch the news. Also told him that Italian bodyguard is an enforcer here to kill you and your grandfather.”_

“How’d you find that out? Did Jesu track him? Okay. Keep me posted. I’ll call the Colonel when I’m done here.”

“Berky, we ready to do this? I want it recorded.”

“It’s set Joe.”

“Chaco!”

The dog trotted forward and Joe bent down to take out the tablet that was in the dog’s backpack.

“How the hell did you walk in with him?” Ramono barfed.

Ignoring the man, Joe motioned his dog just outside Interrogation Room 1. “Sieda. Soggiorno.”

 

“Ramono. I suggest you go upstairs and turn on your TV and watch just how undead the person is that we found.”

Looking around, Joey stated tightly, “The dog does not understand English. He is a US military war dog. It has taken me three years to get him Stateside. He goes where I go. Get used to him.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph watched Ramono step into the elevator as a man in a very expensive suit walked up.

“Oh hell!” LaFiamma muttered low in his throat.

“That must be Mrs Carleton’s lawyer. You know him?” Berkshire questioned as the man walked toward them.

“Call Dillard. Get him here fast. This man knows me and my grandfather. If he says I have a conflict of interest, I can say the same to him.”

-=-=-=-=-

“James Matheson. I am Mrs Carleton’s lawyer. Where is she?” The man in the thousand dollar suit asked with authority.

“James.” Joseph said quietly, stepping in front of the man.

“Joseph!” Matheson barked in surprised his eyes scanning the uniform and the man. “You the man on TV?”

“I am. How long have you been in Houston?”

“Moved down three years ago. Mary Alice wanted out of the Chicago winters and her best friend moved to Galveston.”

Joey watched the District Attorney come out the ‘Stairs’ door. Nicholas Santiago was a clothes-horse. Always smartly dressed, yet three times a week when the two of them ran together nobody ever recognized the man.

“I called the DA. This case has had so many twists we are actually down to the last man standing… in this case it is a woman.” Joseph explained as James turned to see who Joseph was watching.

Santiago looked around. “Officer! We need a private room to discuss this case, and I want the interview with Mrs Carleton videotaped.”

“Yes sir!” Three answers came at once.

-=-=-=-=-

Still standing in the hall outside the interrogation rooms, Santiago asked, “You two know each other?”

“James was one of my professors at University of Chicago Law School,” Joey replied as a uniformed officer said a conference room was ready.

“Berkshire,” Joe started. “Let me know when Lieutenant Dillard….”

“I’m here,” Dillard said stepping out of an elevator with a thick folder under his arm.

Nicholas turned, startled to see a fellow law student. “David Dillard.”

“Okay, this is too much!” LaFiamma barked. “You two know each other? Has to be Sanford Law School?”

“It was.” Both men answered as they were ushered into a conference room.

=-=-=-

Putting the folder on the conference table, Dillard took out the top image and laid it on the table.

“Before we go into everything they need to know,” Dillard said looking at LaFiamma. “We made a discovery at the house. I called Colonel Guthrie and two of his computer people have been going through every flight out of Houston to LaGuardia for the past year. The movie special effects man who built the shooting robot never left Houston. He never got to LaGuardia. He never arrived in London.”

“He’s in the house.” Joey responded quietly.

“Yes. We traced the oxygen tubing that Pappy was wearing to one of those oxygen tanks. The tubing of the other tank goes in a completely different direction. Mick wondered if Chaco could find him.”

“If we had clothing … yes.”

“Thanks to some very determined police officers. we’ve got clothing. They searched the Carleton’s house and found one room locked with a padlock. Inside they found a passport, wallet, clothes…the man was staying with them. I have two pieces of clothing in paper bags. One of the K9 officers said not to put them in plastic. I think we need to get a chopper up because the oxygen on that tank is hitting the red line.”

James Matheson reached for the man’s photo saying, “I think we’d better see if Isabel can tell us where this man is.”

-=-=-=-

“Oh yes, James. Of course I remember him. Heavens, he’s chained under the stairs. You have to through the cutest little door to get there. The man wanted to leave! He was going to London! No way would I allow that. I could never keep track of all those dials and levers. I almost blew up the house once. It’s wired, you know. Garbonzill … Garbo… didn’t trust anyone. The poor man under the lizard bed… he’s probably dead by now. With Blakely gone… well, it takes two to lift the mattress and to pull out the drawer. Blakely was getting fresh with me. I pushed him into the basement. James… you have to see the cute little fish in the basement. They eat people. They ate our son. He was home from a swim meet and stopped to see me and… and… Garbo had that damn slide open. Barry thought it went into a pool. Well, it was a pool, just not a swimming pool. It took me a whole month to tell Hank that our son had been eaten alive by some fish. “

The four men stared at her. The District Attorney quietly told James Matheson to call the Psychiatric Center. Any future questioning will be done there.

It was Joey who stopped them from getting up.

“Mrs Carleton. You said you almost blew up the house. Is it dangerous to walk in there?” Captain LaFiamma asked quietly.

“Oh you can walk around all you want. But if you open the garage door… well, don’t close it again.” Isabel answered matter-of-factly.  “When you turn the key to lock it … boom! That sets off a spark that connects to all the wires. Did you know the whole house is wired and will collapse into the fish tank? My husband and Garbo were so devious. It will close off the fish tank and keep anyone from checking all the bones. There are lots of bones.”

“Was you son building that beautiful red car in the garage?” Dillard asked.

“One of his friends dropped it there. Used a crane or something. They didn’t know the floor had just been poured. He was so mad to find it was stuck to the floor. He’d sit in it sometimes … turning the key and making car noises like a little kid. After Barry went for a swim, I invited his friends over. They thought the slide was a blast.”

Joey looked at Nicholas and James. “You two take care of her. Dillard and I will get back to the house.”

-=-=-=-=-

Once Dillard, LaFiamma and Chaco were onboard the Police helicopter, Joe called the Humvee with orders to absolutely not close the garage. He also informed his squad that there was still man alive in the house and that man was the special effects designer that disappeared last year.

“You didn’t want her to know that Pappy is alive?” Dillard asked his Captain.

“No. We may need more info from her, though I think she is bordering on insanity now. It probably started after she lost her son.”

-=-=-=-=-

Thanking the pilot of Police One for the lift, Joey asked him to stay in the area. They might need a quick getaway, plus his vehicle was at Police Headquarters.

“Jeremy, better call Dispatch. We will need EMTs here for this guy.”

-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma stared at the house.

“Dillard. Tell them to move the Humvee closer to the intersection. Keep all residents out.”

Then Joey pulled his cell and called his brother, John, asking him about any hidden closet under the stairs.

_“Oh sure, Joey. You and Jay used to hide under there all the time. In the living room behind the gray rocking chair. Remember? There is a painted house on the wall. The door of that house opens to a room under the stairs.”_

“Captain! Paramedic unit coming in … and Fire Rescue!”

Joey stared at the firemen, and then shouted, “WE NEED BOLT CUTTERS! Follow me!”

The men moved the gray chair and end table away from the wall.

Joey stared at the house design … the window, the door, the flower box.

_Hey Joey, bet you can’t find me! His twin, Jay, shouted from under the stairs. Too many memories here._

The men stared at LaFiamma. He was not responding to any of their questions. Dillard stepped in front of Joe, breaking the memory connection.

Shaking himself free of the memories, Joe simply said, “I lost my twin brother here.”

Stepping back, LaFiamma looked at those around him. “You better have masks ready. He’s been in here for a year. Have no clue about the sanitation. He is on oxygen. But that shooting robot may also be in there so be careful. There is room for at least three grownups.”

“When you get him out… if he is coherent, we need to know how to turn off that shooting machine.”

-=-=-==-

“What’s going on down there?” Joey questioned looking toward the intersection.

“Two little old ladies insisting on talking to you. One says she’s your grandma but we know…”

“NELLIE?” Joey gasped. “She’s supposed to be in Galveston.”

“You know her….” Gabby began before his Captain took off on a dead run for the intersection.

Over his shoulder LaFiamma shouted to one of the cops, “ARMANDO! That man doesn’t leave until I talk to him!”

-=-=-=-=-

Local news cams greedily stood off to the side recording Mrs Nettie Wells and Mrs Nellie Risso’s confrontation with two Houston police officers who were not letting them get into Iris Lane.

“Jamison! Fredricks! It’s okay,” LaFiamma called as he pushed through. He motioned the two cops and the ladies away from the small crowd.

“Nellie… aren’t you supposed to be moving into your condo?” Joey asked seriously, glancing around and noticing the cameras for the first time.

“Joseph! That place I have been going to for TWENTY YEARS has sold MY place to two other people besides me! It is a riot down there. Winter people coming to move into condos they thought they owned are finding out the management has sold the same place over and over again.”

Joey scanned the news people who hung on the fringes finally spotting the one station he trusted. “SHEPHERD! Do you know about this?”

“First we’ve heard of it, Joey.”

“Get your investigative reporter on it.” LaFiamma all but ordered the man.

Pulling his phone he called Delvin to see if anyone was in the area that could take the ladies to TBC. After a short conversation, Joe turned to the officers and the ladies.

“Someone from Texas Bond Company will be coming to take the ladies to TBC. Jamison… you know Jimmy. Make sure he is the only one who gets in Nellie’s suburban with them.”

  
“Miss Nettie… Agent Standish told me you sold your farm. Are you moving in with Nellie?”

“The Colorado Historical Society is buying it and turning it into a living museum. I haven’t had a chance to tell Vin yet. He’s in Dallas at a ATF seminar.”

“In Dallas?” Joey gasped. _Wonderful! I don’t have to fly to Denver to get him._

“Joseph.” A six foot two inch hunk of man in a black TBC uniform said softly coming up behind the officers.

LaFiamma grinned as the officers and others took in the handsome, rugged looking young man. In German, Joe explained who the ladies were. That they were to move them into the Chase apartment and to let them loose in the kitchen now that Mrs Schroeder has decided our kind of setup isn’t for her.

“You’ll call the Colonel, right?” Jimmy asked staring into the grinning face of his friend.

“Yes, I’ll call Guthrie.”

“GUTHRIE!” Nellie yelled.“Is that your commanding officer from the Marine Corps? Is he the…”

Joseph spoke in sharp Italian to his Godmother. Telling her that the Colonel was his friend and not to say anything that will be played out over television for weeks to come.

It was then that Nellie looked around to see all the people and the TV cameras. Her hand flew to her mouth as she nodded to her best friend’s grandson.

Joey watched Jimmy offer an arm to each lady as he walked them through the parting crowd toward the vehicle Nellie was pointing towards.

“Jamison …  that ambulance will be coming out shortly. You might want to clear the intersection.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Sprinting back up to 1935 Iris Lane, Joey watched the firemen come out the front door and vomit in the bushes.

“Shit … hope that guy is alive,” LaFiamma mumbled to himself.

“Armando, do we need a chopper?”

“Don’t know yet. The man is alive and talking wildly in French.”

“COVER HIS EYES!” A paramedic shouted. “He’s been in the dark for months. LaFiamma… we need a translator.”

Joey waited by the ambulance as the man was brought up to the street.

“Berkshire! Do we have an ID on this man? What did the detectives find? We need a name for the hospital! And contact info.”

Sgt Berkshire rushed to the Humvee as LaFiamma knelt down next to the stretcher.

For several minutes LaFiamma knelt next to the man speaking a language only the two of them understood. Joseph learned that the only two vulnerable spots were the red lights in the head and the belly of the robot. Joe asked about shooting down the arms to destroy the ammunition. Louis Armand asked who could do that. Joseph said he knew it could be down. Joe learned that lithium batteries sustained the robot and destroying the ammunition would take out the batteries.

Berkshire interrupted the conversation with a fax from HPD. “Joseph. Here’s a copy of his California driver’s license and information off his passport. It lists contact information.”

“Thank you. Ask Dillard if we have a satellite phone for an overseas call.”

Turning to the rescued man, Joe asked, “Louis … this contact number  ... is it your wife?”

“Yes. She was expecting twins… When I…”

“Captain,” Lieutenant Dillard spoke quietly as he approached. “I’ve dialed another number that was in his luggage. I believe it is his father-in-law.”

Captain LaFiamma stood up speaking first in English and then in French, explaining that Louis Armand had been found alive. He was dehydrated, had lost a lot of weight … his hair was white due to the stress and the situation he was in. Joe explained he would be making a news conference regarding his discovery and rescue but he wanted Louis’ wife and family to know the situation before it was made public.

Joe answered the man’s questions the best he could and then asked what sex the twins were.

_“Boys. Two boys. Franco and Phillipe.”_

Handing the phone back to Dillard, Joe turned to the anxious father. Holding up two fingers he said, “Two… boys …. Franco and Phillipe.”

“Armando. Make sure Dr Stone has a French translator there. Louis knows English but his main language is French.”

LaFiamma and his squad watched the ambulance do a slow roll through the intersection, turning its lights and siren on as it made its turn.

“Okay people. We are going to close and lock the front door. Then … Bear and Gabby you are going to put your hands on the garage door and slowly … SLOWLY …close it. Do not let it drop down or we may all go boom together.” Joseph explained tightly.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey looked around for Chaco and found him asleep on the hood of the Expedition.

“Meeting,” LaFiamma said motioning to the Expedition.

“Okay. Anyone who needs to get back to his job can take off. I can get Houston PD to come and house sit until I can get Vin Tanner down here.”

Barney, Frog, Gabby and the others looked at each other and nodded.

“We’re here for the duration, Captain,” Barney said soundly. “Most of us have taken vacation or personal time, and if we get fired  ... so be it. This is a matter of life and death. Marines do not walk away from a fight.”

Captain LaFiamma grinned. He figured that would be their answer. “Okay. Mick I need you to notify news media that I will have a news conference in about twenty minutes. It will be short and no questions will be answered.”

“Frog, you know someone who is an ATF agent here, right? I need to talk with the Houston director. I need a Denver agent who is in Dallas, and I need him here today.”

“Dillard. Contact Major Menno. Ask him if his helio is still on standby for us. I need it to fly to Dallas to pick up an ATF sniper.”

“Gabby. Bear. I need you two to walk the neighborhood. Make sure no one has snuck into the empty houses. Check on the people who are here. When I get back from Dallas … we are going to implode the house and kill the robot.”

“He told you how to do that?” Dillard exclaimed wide-eyed.

“He did. The thing is running on lithium batteries. They last forever. Once everything is done, we will figure out what to do with the fish in the backyard and the houses. But right now that robot has to be terminated.”

-=-=-=-

“Chaco!” Joey called pulling a yellow tennis ball from his pocket. Pulling his phone he called Guthrie.

“ _Guthrie!”_

Joey jerked at the harshness of his lover. “Hey lover, how are you doing? “

_“Joseph,” Lee purred. “Who are these women?”_

“Nellie is Grandma LaFiamma’s best friend. They have been friends since the third grade. They both were forced to marry someone they didn’t love yet raised many children. When Grandma LaFiamma died, Nellie took over being grandmother. Nettie is the adopted grandmother of Federal agent Vin Tanner. I am going to fly to Dallas to get him in an hour or so. Vin and I are going to take out the robot.”

_“Jimmy said you found another person in the house.”_

“Designer of the robot. Listen. Nellie and Nettie are fabulous cooks. Nellie is a baker … muffins, cakes, cookies, brownies, cream puffs, eclairs. Nettie makes the best pot roast you will ever taste in your life. They don’t need a salary. Give them the Chase apartment in return for being TBC’s cooks. Did Jimmy tell you what happened to Nellie’s Galveston condo?”

_“Yes. And it is all over the news. Your Lieutenant Dillard said to contact James Matheson and he is going to represent her.”_

“Knowing these two… all the single men and women there will become their grandkids  … the ladies will find a niche in cooking and nurturing. I have to go …”

_“I heard about the police job they want you for.”_

“I’m going to take it... on one condition … that my office can be on TBC’s first floor. The office that you don’t use and the two conference rooms. It will sort of be a HPD satellite detective branch. Think about it. Am doing a news conference, then I have to find the Houston ATF director and fly to Dallas. And Lee ... no matter what is going on in my life … you’re mine. You belong to me. I belong to you.”

“And Colonel, remember those are civilians that work for you. You are not your father. Those two old ladies in your kitchen … either one of them could back your father up against the wall … and win!”

Joey heard his lover let go with a big guffaw. “ _Okay, Joseph. I get the picture. You be careful out here.”_

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Okay Mick! Hand me my script for this news conference.”

Michelob Brown stared at his Captain and friend. The man had always talked straight from the cuff before. “ah…”

“Okay, Michelob. Print out his name and where he is from and that we have already contacted his family. I’ll fill in the rest. And Mick… when I get back from Dallas I have a job offer for you.”

“Sir, I don’t need…”

“I heard you say you got fired for being here. I have a better job for you and it will use all the talents you’ve been using here and more. I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Barney,” Joe said pulling out his keys. “Need you to move my vehicle even with the Humvee to keep people off the street. I’m taking Chaco to Dallas with me.”

“What do we hear from the ATF?”

“The director and two agents are on their way, and Bear is on his way back down to protect you from the mob down there.”

-=-=-=-

 


	4. ATF Sniper Comes On Board

 

In spite of questions being fired at him from all sides Captain LaFiamma only gave minimal information.

“The man we discovered in the house is Louis Armand. He has French and US citizenship. He is a Hollywood magic man in special effects. He disappeared about a year ago when he was summons here because of a problem with the robot. When he made it, it was for shooting tennis balls. He was astonished to learn someone in Houston had changed it into a killer. He gave me two ways to disarm this machine, and I am shortly flying to Dallas to pick up an Army sniper who I have worked with before."

“We have contacted Louis’ wife and father-in-law. Louis was overjoyed to learn that he is now the father of twins. He has been kept in a closet with minimum light which is why his face was covered when paramedics brought him out. That’s all.”

“LAFIAMMA! WHAT HOSPITAL IS HE IN?”

“WHO IS THE SNIPER YOU’RE GOING AFTER?”

Six foot five, 350 pounds of muscle stepped forward. Beartholomew Trimble stated in a booming voice, “Captain LaFiamma said the conference was over. That means… it is over.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey watched the Marine helicopter circle and land. He had yet to hear from the ATF and he really needed the director’s okay to pull Tanner out of that seminar.

“Captain.”

Joey turned to see a man in a suit flanked by two men wearing ATF vests. He stared at one his eyes narrowing. “Oh crap.”

“LaFiamma. I’m Jeffrey Richmond, Special Agent in Charge of Southeast Texas. This is Agent Shawnee and Agent…”

“Williams.” Joseph ground out tightly.

“You two know each other?” Richmond asked.

“You could say that.” Came the unison answer.

The two men stared at each other and then Joe shook himself free saying, “Agent Vin Tanner is in Dallas. I need him down here. What do I have to do to get him freed from that seminar?”

“We have snipers here that I’m sure could…” Richmond began.

“Falcon is the best Army sniper of his age. He and I have worked together on a coalition mission. I know what he…”

“Holy crap!” Williams barked. “You were the other sniper with Vin when he took down… on the delta. All this time we thought… hell LaFiamma, I apologize,” Williams said looking around.  “You’re going to do the same thing with this robot.”

“Yes.”

“You want to tell me what you two are talking about,” Richmond demanded.

“It’s classified,” LaFiamma and Williams answered in one voice.

“Here’s the deal,” Richmond began. “I would very much like to get Tanner on my team. The new ATF Director in Washington is changing things all around. There is a new position. Strategist …a position that deals with the conduct and disposition of forces. Someone who can look at a situation … a bust and say whether it will work or not. What is wrong. What needs to be done to make it work. I have talked with two of Tanner’s commanding officers. Both have told me he was the best strategist they had ever met.”

Looking at Williams, Joe said, “Yeah, Vin has the mind like Pac Man.”

“Okay, so who is flying with me? Right now he is doing a seminar on weapons and he is the speaker. He is done in two hours. I don’t want him notified ahead of arrival because then Larabee will know. And from what I’ve been told, Denver is being revamped. Travis is being forced out as is Larabee.”

“Larabee is being given the option of resigning or going to jail for sexual harassment,” Richmond responded.

“Yes, and Vin is one of Larabee’s victims. Okay… Tanner’s adopted grandmother is now in Houston. He is not aware of this. That would be the one person that would hold him in Denver. Plus a girl he was interested in Iraq now lives in Houston.”

“Amy?” Williams questioned. “I heard she gave up nursing.”

“Said she’d seen enough blood in Iraq to last a lifetime. She got a computer degree and works for Texas Bond Company.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

They were just airborne when Richmond called his Dallas counterpart. Tanner would be excused from the balance of the seminar and no one would know about it until after they were on their way back to Houston. Forty-five minutes later they were landing in the Heliport of the Dallas Convention Center.

Joseph snapped the leash on Chaco and it was only then the ATF agents were aware that a dog was with them.

Richmond gave LaFiamma a hard look.

Joey just grinned, saying. “Tanner knows the dog and Chaco can track him anywhere.”

Williams stopped in his tracks staring at the animal. “This is Travis’ dog?”

“Yeah. Took me three years and a few thousand bucks to get him here. He arrived yesterday.”

“Oh man. There are a couple of other guys from Travis’ unit in Houston. Can we have visitation rights?” Williams asked as his boss looked on in shock.

“I think we can arrange it.” LaFiamma responded with a smile.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Vin Tanner had finished his lecture early. He’d given this weapons talk so many times that he answered most of the usual questions as he went along. He stared at the clock wondering what he was going to do for forty minutes when a “WOOF” was heard outside the door.

Someone in the back of the room walked to the door and opened it. At the same time, Joey unhooked the leash and let the dog go.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” Several men shouted as the dog bound into the room.

Tanner stared at the dog as it advanced toward him. Then he started laughing as he dropped to his knees and embraced the animal in a hug.

Cell phones and iPads appeared out of nowhere as videos captured a war dog greeting a long lost friend.

Vin looked up at Joey. “When did you get him? What are you doing here? Chaco. Sieda. Sieda.”

Chaco sat, his tail thumbing loudly on the hardwood floor.

“I’ll explain it on the way to your room. You’re excused from the rest of the seminar. I need you in Houston.”

“Best news I’ve heard all day.” Vin answered standing.

The dog watched his every move, as Tanner packed up his weapons and explained to the class that he’d been volunteered for something elsewhere.

-=-=-=-=--

Chaco and Williams stood outside Tanner’s hotel room keeping any curious people out.

“They want me to do a lateral transfer to Houston? Miss Nettie’s not going to like that.”

“Miss Nettie and her sister are in Houston right now. The Colorado Historical Society is buying the Wells ranch and turning it into a living museum. Similar to something that is north of Phoenix, only this will be farming and ranching as it was in the 1930’s.”

“Her sister from Chicago?” Tanner called from the bathroom as he gathered his shaving gear.

“Yes. Nellie Risso. Who just happens to be my godmother and was my grandmother’s best friend. She now considers me her grandson,” Joey explained looking around the room.

“You’re kidding,” Tanner laughed coming out of the bathroom with his shaving kit.

Walking to the closet to get his duffle bag, Vin said, “Looks like it might be something worth thinking about.”

“Well, here are a couple more things. Your gal Amy works at the Texas Bond Company as an internet researcher.” LaFiamma explained as he opened a dresser drawer.

“Nurse Amy Brewster.” Vin questioned quietly, remembering the woman he fell in love with during war time.

“The same,” Joe replied frowning at the box he found next to other things that had Larabee’s name on them.

Vin just stared at his friend. “I really fell hard for her. Then I found out she was dating three other men. Kind of blew me away that even in war time a woman would …. One of her men was a Captain. He walked straight into a fire fight. A lot of us blamed her.”

“You should know too, that your boss Travis is being forced to resign or be terminated. And… Larabee is going to be fired or face jail time.”

“Jail time?” Vin questioned lifting things out of another dresser drawer and placing them into his duffle bag.

“More men than you have complained to Travis and to Washington. The new ATF Director is taking action on a lot of things. A big upheaval is coming down. Plus the job in Houston would not be as a sniper.”

“What is it then?” Vin asked as he rechecked the room, opening drawers, going into the bathroom again and the closet.

“A strategist. Richmond has already talked to two of your CO’s.”

“You mean, telling people whether their plans will work or not … and getting PAID for that?” Vin quacked not believing what he was hearing.

“You got it, Tex. And yes, you get paid for it. Sounds like a good salary too because it is for the whole area not just one team.”

“What are you looking at in Larabee’s drawer?” Vin asked with interest as he walked up next to his friend.

“No way in hell!” Tanner growled staring at the black leather studded collar in the drawer before him.

“One thing I will do though… is keep my apartment in Denver. Otherwise Rosa’s kids will have no place to do their homework.”

-=-=-=-=-

As the three men stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, Williams was carrying Tanner’s two gun cases, Vin’s duffle bag was slung over his shoulder and LaFiamma had a tight lead on Chaco. Several groups of men and women stopped to stare not knowing if the men were a threat or had just taken someone down.

Jeffrey Richmond stepped out of one of the groups. “Gentlemen, are we ready to go?”

LaFiamma looked at the others with him and smiled. “We’re set. And you have a new man.”

A broad smile graced Richmond’s face as he extended his hand to Vin Tanner. “Welcome! You’re now part of the Southeast Texas Field Office.”

-=-=-=-=-

A group of Colorado ATF agents stared in disbelief as they watched Larabee’s sniper leave.

“Who’s going to tell Chris?”

“Not me!” Each one of them answered.

“Let Larabee find out for himself. It will spread like wildfire once word gets out Tanner has transferred to Texas.”

-=-=-=-=-

Chris Larabee stepped off the elevator on the fifteen floor and looked both ways. He’d seen Vin go into the elevator with two men he’d never seen before. His gut feeling was to get upstairs fast but it didn’t work out that way. He was stopped by Las Vegas agents who needed information from their last class. The classes were worthless as far as Chris was concerned. Just a repeat of last year and the year before.

Walking into his hotel room he could tell something had changed. The atmosphere was charged. Angry. Looking around he didn’t see Tanner’s clothes in the closet or his bag on the floor. Gravitating towards the dresser, he fiercely pulled open the left hand drawers to find Vin’s things gone.

Larabee stared at his top dresser drawer for several minutes before opening it. When he finally did, a silent gasp escaped his throat. The studded collar he was going to ask Tanner to wear was wide open, spread across the tissue paper it had been wrapped in.

Chris knew instantly it wasn’t Tanner who did this. One of the men was a Dom, a Master or a Stallion. And the collar was useless to him now. Whoever opened it, also had to close it. No other fingerprints would work.

“FUCK! A year’s nurturing down the drain!” Larabee fumed as he slammed the drawer shut.

-=-=-=-=-=-

In the Marine helicopter Tanner was learning that there were several Field Offices throughout the State of Texas. Vin would be connected to the Houston Office though he may be called to assist any of the Southeast Field Offices.

Tanner listened intently, occasionally looking at Joey and grinning.

Joe knew his friend had wanted to step away from being a sniper for a long time. Now he was getting a chance to show his other abilities and still see Miss Nettie every day.

“Captain.” The Marine navigator said breaking into the conversations. “We’re going back to Iris Lane, correct.”

“Yes, Curtis. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. I need Vin to size up the situation before we go to TBC and have him look at the building plans.”

“You can read architecture plans?” Richmond questioned, looking up from what he’d been texting.

“Yeah,” Tanner responded nonchalantly.

Richmond looked at LaFiamma for a better answer missing Tanner’s raised eyebrows.

“Vin needed extra hours to fill out his Master’s so he took a basic class in architecture. Then he ended up taking a couple of others.”

“You have a Master’s degree?” Richmond gasped in astonishment. “I haven’t gotten anything from the Washington office that indicates you have a Master’s.”

“Got a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Languages. Took architecture in case I got bored at being a sniper. Travis has all this information. I can pull it up online if you need it.”

“I most certainly do need it! Hell, this changes everything.” Richmond yelped, pulling out his phone.

“Wait a minute!” Tanner gruffed. “Does this mean I don’t have a job now?”

“Oh, you have a job! The question is which one of the three we are going to put you into.”

“The one you told me about… strategist … that takes in all of that and more. When we get to Joey’s place I can print out my resume.”

LaFiamma pulled his phone and called Mick. “Michelob. We’re on our way in. I need you to go into the ATF Denver office and pull up Vin Tanner’s file and print out his education degrees. Where he got his Bachelor’s and his Master’s …. And his resume. If you can’t find it, let me know. Special Agent Richmond needs it.”

“Good. I’m glad everything is quiet there. And Tanner needs to view the video of our robot. Thanks.”

All was silent in the chopper as they circled around to land.

-=-=-=-=-

It wasn’t until the Marine chopper landed that Richmond turned to LaFiamma and said, “Isn’t it illegal to go into government data bases?”

“We’re the Marine Corps. We can go anywhere,” Joseph replied matter-of-factly.

As they walked to the lavender Humvee, the Magnificent Seven theme went off.

“It’s either Larabee or Ezra?” Vin said pulling his phone out.

“Ezra?” Joey questioned.

“Ezra Standish. Team’s undercover agent,” Vin explained.

Three men came out of the Humvee, one with several pieces of paper in his hand.

Suddenly everything stopped, as Tanner shouted, “What the hell Larabee!”

LaFiamma spun on a dime and jogged to where Tanner stood. Taking the phone out of his friend’s hand, Joey motioned Vin to go to Richmond. “Go … Houston is your future.”

Joseph listened to Chris Larabee’s anger involving the black leather collar.

“You are pathetic, Larabee. Damn good thing you’re being fired. Find someone else to fuck, will you? It’s not going to be Vin Tanner …ever.” Joseph replied in a stern tight voice.

_“‘WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” Larabee raged._

“I’m the one who opened the collar. Why don’t you try it on? Put it around your neck and maybe in a year or two … I’ll come to Denver and take it off.” LaFiamma growled coldly.

_“Who the hell are you?” Larabee repeated._

“Captain Joseph LaFiamma. US Marine Corps. Presidential Division. You had best check in with Travis. He’s being terminated thanks to you.”

_“What the hell you talking about?”_

“Call home, Captain Larabee, before they clean out your desk for you. Tanner has been transferred to Houston. You won’t be seeing him again.”

“ _You’re a Master, aren’t you? Or a Stallion. Herding Tanner in, are you?” Larabee ranted.._

“The only thing I am doing is getting Tanner away from you and letting people know that he is an educated person. You dare to touch Tanner … I will kill you Christopher Adam Larabee. Don’t call him again.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Richmond leaned against the Humvee reading Tanner’s resume and information from the University of Phoenix regarding his Criminal Justice degree. He was amazed when he saw what the young man’s IQ was.

“Mick, is it? I’m going to give you a fax number in Washington, and dictate a cover letter. The new ATF Director needs this information. Whether it was Larabee or Travis who didn’t pass this on, more heads will roll in Denver that is for sure.”

“Follow me, sir.” Mick answered watching his Captain stick Tanner’s phone in his pocket and then take it out again.

-=-=-=-=

Ezra Standish barely glanced at his cell as it rang. “Yes, Mr Tanner.”

_“This is Captain LaFiamma in Houston. Just listen please. Vin said you are the only one he trusts there. He has taken a lateral transfer to Houston which involves a promotion. Everything of his that is at Larabee’s ranch needs to be picked up as soon as possible. Leave the jeep. His salary here will be double what he made in Denver. Neither Travis nor Larabee informed Washington that Vin had a Master’s Degree or that he was an intelligent person. Heads are going to roll for both those men. Vin said you have a stepfather in Vegas. You might want to resign before Team Seven gets the axe. Vin doesn’t want you caught in the takedown of Team Seven.”_

“Mr Tanner, I am so glad things are going well in Dallas. You seeing old friends from bounty days must be most exciting.”

_“You can contact him through the Texas Bond Company for now. Watch the news this evening and tomorrow. We will both be on it.”_

“Thank you very much for informing me of your change of plans. I will definitely check your desk for that information and get it to you.”

_“Wait! You’re Phineas …Joey LaFiamma here. The Chicago cop that saved you from your own Freebies. Take care, Ezra. Let us know where you end up.”_

Ezra Standish was speechless. He stared at his cell phone for several minutes before going into action. First he needed to clean out Tanner’s desk without looking like he was doing that. Then he had to leave early and head out to the ranch. Larabee wasn’t in town, but Buck and JD had plans to go there later. He’d call stepfather number seven and see how things were in Las Vegas. He grinned when he realized Tanner was at last free from Larabee’s grasp.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“You saved Ezra when you were a cop in Chicago?” Tanner questioned quietly.

“I did. For some reason he wasn’t well liked with fellow agents. And I didn’t much care for the FBI agents in Chi Town so I sided with Ezra in what was going down. What’s going on with Mick and Richmond?”

“They are faxing all my education stuff to Washington. Chris or maybe Travis never informed them I had a degree above the 8th grade. Explains a lot. I want to see this robot, Joey. Do you really think we can duplicate what we did in the Delta?”

“I hope so, Vin. We will need some preparations but I want to take him down tomorrow morning. The families that live on this street need to come home.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Dillard jogged to where Tanner and LaFiamma were talking.

“Captain. Have a call here from Carolyn. Some family friend of Polinski’s paid to have his dog brought to the States. He didn’t know that Molly is allergic to animal dander.”

“Tell her to bring the dog here. Chaco has gravitated to Tanner. He was on Vin’s lap the whole trip back from Dallas, plus two ATF agents were in Travis’ unit. We’ll take Pulie.”

“Hot dog! We loved that dog.”

“Dillard! Tell the friend to give Molly the round case with the Frisbee in it. With all the films he sent back, that will help them connect.”

“You got it.” David Dillard laughed joyfully as he ran back to the Humvee.

“Joey. I don’t even know where I’ll be living…”

“Vin, Chaco is a bomb sniffing dog. ATF can probably use him and you. And for now you can use one of the guest rooms at TBC or my apartment. Until things settle down I won’t be using it. I’ll call Sandy Blackburn later to…”

“Sandy Blackburn? She have a little boy named Davey?” Vin asked suddenly very interested.

“Yes,” Joey answered noticing the grin that spread across his friend’s face. “You know her?”

“Was a bounty hunter after the Army. Her ex kidnapped Davey. I took the case and found him. Would love to see her again. Bet David has really grown up. Should be about ten now.”

-=-=-=-=-

It was silent inside the Humvee as Vin Tanner and Joe LaFiamma watched the shooting robot.

“Mick. Slow motion, please,” Vin said. He and Joe talked between themselves pointing to various sections of the film.

“Can we do frame by frame?” Tanner asked.

“We can.”

After twenty minutes, Tanner looked at Joe saying, “We need to talk to the guy who made this. Does he have any plans? How tall is the thing? If the house implodes what is the height of the arms? Then we have to figure out where we’re going to be to shot down those arms. We need to know the spacing and height of the red dots … the computer eyes. Hell Joey! This is ten times harder than the tank takedown.”

“Sounds like this is right your alley…. What your new ATF job is all about, right? I remember you said that about the tank too. Okay, Mick, can you put this on a USB stick? We need to go to the hospital, then to TBC and use the light table I saw in one of the conference rooms on the first floor. And whatever happened to the blueprints? I heard someone say two sets were found.”

“Dillard. What happened to the building plans?” Joey questioned of his Lieutenant as he came into the Humvee.

“Berkshire delivered them to Delvin and told him to guard them with his life… and to give them only to you. And sir, Carolyn is here with Pulie.”

Looking at Vin, Joey said grinning, “It’s a good thing I bought fifty pounds of dog meal, plus dozens of tennis balls. Though as I remember, Pulie likes green ones not yellow.”

“Pulie? Wasn’t he the Frisbee dog?” Tanner questioned.

“He was. Is.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey walked toward the barricade. The only ones behind it were news vans and cops. Most people had lost interest or were heading home for dinner.

“JAMISON! LET THEM THROUGH!” LaFiamma shouted to the cop holding his hand up to a blue van with white lettering that said ‘War Dog Rescue.’

Barney stepped around the Humvee and moved one of the barricades motioning the driver around the left side of the Humvee.

Seconds later the sliding door of the blue van slid open and a fuzzy looking Shepherd with pointy ears bound out.

“Pulie! Gekommen.”  Joey called, grinning as the dog slid to a stop.

Cameramen who were gearing up to leave suddenly whirled around hoisting cameras to their shoulders.

Joe waited as the dog turned and looked at each person that was staring at him.

Jamison’s hand gravitated to his hip holster not sure if the dog was lethal or not.

“Poolee….” Joey cooed, clapping his hands together.

There was a bark… and a running leap as the dog ran toward Joe who caught him on the fly laughing. Joe wrapped his arms around Pulie hugging him.

“Ferse.” Joey said as he took off on a run up the street with the dog by his side. On their way back down, Pulie stopped, growling at Jeffrey’s house.

Slowly walking up the driveway, Joe could hear male voices arguing. They were trespassing and trapped. The water had flooded the kitchen while they were upstairs. And there were cops outside.

“Good dog,” Joey praised the dog scratching his ears as they jogged back down the street.

“Pulie heard voices at Jeffrey’s house. Sounds like two males arguing. They know they are trespassing. The kitchen is flooded. They don’t have food.”

“Dillard. You are in charge. I’m taking Tanner and the dogs to TBC. We need to look at those building plans. Do you want me to send food back?”

Dillard grinned at his Captain. “Barney already talked to the cops. The change of shift is bringing in some super pizzas and colas. We’ll share with whoever is hanging around. Mick already made up the watch schedule. And the Greenlee’s opened up their pool house in their backyard. It has a shower and toilet, so we don’t need to disturb their sleep. Plus there are some lounge chairs if we need them.”

Looking between Tanner and their Captain, Mick said, “Neither one of you have eaten since breakfast, I bet. You’d better get to the hospital and then to TBC and get some of Nellie’s sweets.”

Joey walked over to Carolyn hugging her and thanking her for bringing the dog.

“Tell Molly Polinski that Pulie is home. I had no clue that he was available. She will understand the tote with the Frisbee, and if she wants pictures … just let me know. Do you have his other things?”

Joe accepted the red and white tote with the Polish eagle on it. Reaching in, he took out Pulie’s harness and leash.

“Okay, Tanner! Grab your dog and let’s hit the road!”

-=-=-=-=-=-

The two friends made a quick stop at Joseph’s apartment to pick up some dog food, the stand with the dog dishes in it, a change of clothes for Joe… and tennis balls.

Driving to the hospital, Joey questioned Vin about Ezra Standish.

“When I met Standish, he was undercover in finance. Wheeling and dealing mega bucks. Does he do it himself or have someone who does it?”

“He knows some New York or Chicago financier who makes bundles of money for people that have it. His mother has been married seven or eight times and always walks away with tons of money. She lives in Europe now.” Vin explained.

“I took two bank books out of the safe of that house. One is for my brother John, and one is for me. Mine shows a hell of a lot of money and I’d like to get it under my control.”

“Call Ezra. He’s got someone in Denver he works with also. Who are we seeing at the hospital?”

“The man who designed the robot but first we have to stop in the room my grandfather is but isn’t in. Just so people think he is still there.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Captain LaFiamma and Agent Tanner walked through the Emergency entrance each with a dog on a leash. Several people stared but no one stopped them.

In the elevator Joey said, “I want you at parade rest opposite the door I go into and Chaco sitting but alert. I want to give the staff and anyone watching the idea that there is someone in the room.”

Tanner stepped off the elevator and looked both ways. Quietly, almost in a whisper, Vin reported, “Man in chair with feet propped up. His paper is upside down.”

Joe stepped off the elevator chuckling. “Suppose we should tell him?”

Together they walked to the room with the Marine guard, who saluted Joe as he knocked then walked in.

“VanderVeen, you taking the afternoon shift?” Joe asked the cop lounging on the bed.

“Would you believe it, Joe? This Marine paramedic is my wife’s cousin. We’ve been having a nice chat.”

“Best be on alert. There is a man in that hall waiting area reading a paper … an upside down paper.”

The Dutchman and the paramedic laughed.

“We’re ready for him,” VanderVeen replied. “We’ve heard someone walk past a couple of times. Roy’s going to step out and ask the nurses if they recognize the man, or have seen him here before.”

“I have an ATF agent outside,” Joe remarked gesturing toward the door. “He and I are going over the blueprints for Iris Lane tonight. Do you know what room the French man is in? The one we found under the stairs?”

“Next floor up. There are police guards all around him, and a French Embassy guy was there for a while.”

-=-=-=-=-

“The Dutchman said there are cops all over this floor. We’ll have to play it by ear and see if we can see him.”

“Thought you were a cop?” Tanner asked as the elevator dinged to a stop.

“I resigned when they fired my partner. I’m a partner in the Texas Bond Company but have been offered a job back at Houston PD and I think I might take it.”

The two friends stepped off the elevator in unison. Two men. Two dogs. Into chaos.

“Pulie ... woof, woof.” Joey whispered.

**“WOOF! WOOF!”**

Vin and Joe could hardly keep from laughing as everything came to a stop. Nurses, doctors, six cops all turned and looked at the newcomers.

“I’m Captain LaFiamma. This is Federal Agent Vin Tanner. We are here to see Louis Armand. He was airlifted earlier from 1935 Iris Lane.”

“Joseph!” A man in a three-piece suit barked stepping out of the middle of the group.

“Tinker? What are you doing here?” LaFiamma gasped, surprised to see a college friend who was now in the diplomatic corps.

“French Embassy called me. I’ve been in Dallas for the last week.” Jonathan Tinker replied.

“He’s a US citizen,” Joey replied.

“And a French citizen. His family lives in Paris and they have been calling the Embassy for information.”

“I left my number with his father-in-law… Listen, Jonathan, Vin and I need to talk with him. What is his condition? He designed the robot and Tanner and I hope to take the thing down sometime tomorrow.”

“He’s been asking for the French Marine, so that must be you. Follow me.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joe asked Tinker if he had a laptop, which he did. Using the USB stick they played the video of the robot for Louis. Louis pointed out several things that were different from the original design that he knew nothing about.

“I would suggest,” Louis said slowly, “that you take out the red squares first. Then go for the arms.”

Vin asked, “If we do that, it won’t stop it from shooting, will it? The batteries would still be intact and it could continue to shoot and reload. If this runs on a computer, taking out the arms first would kill the batteries … wouldn’t that also kill the computer?”

“Ah, I see what you are saying,” Louis answered softly. “Yes, it would. The computer cannot run without those batteries.”

Vin and Joe exchanged glances. Joey asked, “Do you know anything about the house being wired to implode?”

Louis Armand looked horrified.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Joey replied quietly.

Looking at Tinker, Joey asked, “Did the police bring his things from Carleton’s house?”

“Yes. We have everything in the closet here. I’ll be staying until the end of the week. Then depending on his condition, he will be airlifted to France. Air France has already offered a free trip. If doctors feel he can’t make the trip, his wife, two sons and father-in-law will be coming here.”

“Well, he looks much better than he did a few hours ago. I think by the end of the week he’ll be ready to go to Paris.”

-=-=-=-=-

Back in the Expedition, the dogs dozing in the back, Tanner turned to look at Joey, as LaFiamma started the engine. “Woof? Woof?

Behind them, Pulie raised his head, “woof, woof.”

The two men cracked up.

“Polinski taught him to do that,” Joey explained as they turned out of the hospital parking lot. ”It got so noisy in those tents, even when someone yelled ‘quiet down’ it was a dull roar. But when Pulie barked, then put his head down with his paws over his ears, everyone got the message.”

-=-=-=-=-

Driving through TBC security to underground parking, Joey explained about the security cameras and where they all were. He introduced Vin to two of the guards who were there, who explained how the vehicles are marked so the gate recognizes them.

“Let’s get the dogs feed. There should be a bucket for some water somewhere and then we’ll see what Nettie and Nellie have for supper.” Joey said as he parked in a spot with his name on the wall.

“Sounds good to me, I’m starving,” Vin replied.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey and Vn walked into the Command Center at change of shift. Coming around a corner on their way to Colonel Guthrie’s big glassed in office the two men came face to face with Amy Brewster.

“Vin!” Amy gasped her throat going dry.

“Miss Brewster,” Vin stated coldly barely pausing to acknowledge her.

“Vin? What are you doing here?”

Tanner stopped, “Excuse me?”

“What are you doing here?” Amy asked again. Something in his demeanor worried her.

Tanner looked at Joey. Joe could feel the rage coming off his friend.

“Agent Tanner has been transferred to Houston, Amy. He’s here to help me with a project.”

“Agent?”

“Vin is a Federal Agent for the ATF.” Joe explained as he motioned Tanner forward.

Walking into Guthrie’s office without knocking, Joe quietly closed the door behind them.

“Colonel Guthrie …ATF Agent Vin Tanner. Lee, Vin is the adopted grandson of Miz Nettie Wells. He needs to use one of our guest rooms until he knows just where in Houston he is going to be working.”

“Transferred from Denver to Houston,” Guthrie remarked standing to shake Tanner’s hand.

“News travels fast,” Vin replied.

“I am in the security business, Agent Tanner. When one of my TBC partners flies to Dallas on the spur of the moment I want to know why.”

In the next breath Guthrie asked, “How do you know Miss Brewster?”

Vin looked at Joey who said, “Tell him everything you told me …and things you didn’t tell me. She works on high security stuff. If she is a risk, Guthrie needs to know it. I’ll search up Delvin and get those building plans.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph hunted down Devlin and the building plans. Delvin showed him the two conference rooms and the old office that Guthrie was originally going to use until he decided he wanted to be up where the action was.

Before going back upstairs to get Tanner, Joey walked into the dining area to find Nettie Wells. He wanted to give the woman a heads up that Tanner was here .. and had accepted a job transfer to Houston.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“I have had my suspicions regarding Miss Brewster,” Colonel Guthrie said quietly, offering a chair to Tanner.

“She dates a lot of different men. I’m in the security business. A leak to the wrong company or to a corporate spy could undermine my operation.”

“I knew her in Iraq. Was one of four soldiers who fell in love with her. None of us knew about the others. Then one day I saw her with my Captain. They were being very intimate in a dark corner. When I talked to him later, I questioned him about Amy and discovered they had a relationship that had been going on for five months. I’d been with her for four months. That put me on immediate alert and on my off time I went into surveillance mood. Watching her as if she was a suspect which she was. I confronted the three other men and together we went to the Captain. He was devastated. He’d lost his wife to cancer and had felt Amy was really into him. He’d planned to ask her to marry him. Three days later he walked into the middle of a fire fight. We all blamed her. As it turned out, she was a spy for someone in the Army. Some Colonel, in Intelligence, who wanted the inside scoop on what made men vulnerable … something to do with promotions.”

“I know that asshole Colonel. He ended up getting killed in a bar fight. Drunk as a skunk he took on the wrong man.”

“She was a MASH nurse and a good one. I’m surprised to see her at a computer.” Vin offered looking back into the large room full of computer cubicles.

“She said she’d had enough of blood and gore,” Guthrie replied grimly. “She is working on some sensitive stuff. We know we have a spy here and it just may be her. I thank you for being honest and upfront. Joseph trusts you. Therefore, I trust you.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey was surprised to see Amy hanging out in the hall when he returned to pick up Tanner.

“Isn’t your date going to be mad that you’re late?” Joey asked her.

“Why is Tanner here?” Amy asked yet again.

“You worried about him? He is a Federal Agent that has been transferred to Houston. He’s going to be bunking in my apartment until he finds his own place.”

“He’s been with the Colonel for a long time.”

“Guthrie interrogates everyone who he thinks might be a threat to me. Go home, Miss Brewster. Tanner is not interested in you and I doubt he will even talk to you.” LaFiamma groused tightly.

“He told you about us, didn’t he?”

“Us? Which us? You and Tanner? You and the Captain? You and how many others did you have on the string in Iraq? Yes he did.”

“And Amy … if you are doing the same thing here. Selling secrets … when Guthrie finds out … the police won’t be able to protect you. He is ruthless when he gets pissed off. This company is his baby. You sabotage that …, well, you’ll probably end up in Mexico in some brothel which should make you very happy.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joey left a stunned Amy Brewster standing in the hall as he pushed open the double doors to the Command Center. There he found Richard, Devlin’s night person, explaining to Vin Tanner just what they do here.

“Vin. I found the building plans and the light table is huge. Let’s go down and see Miss Nettie and get some food … I’m starving and so are you.”

“I asked Richard to try to find my birthday certificate or my parents’ marriage license. JD discovered that a lot of men that were called up got married in Vegas. Hoping I at least get to find out who my father was.”

Joey smiled. If anyone could, these computer experts could. “Richard. We need to get Vin into the system and…”

Tanner pulled out a key card. “Already done. Guthrie took care of it. All he had to do was pull up by Federal ID and I was in. Now, let’s go see Miss Nettie and then look at those building plans. We still have to sleep tonight, you know. By the way, just where am I going to sleep tonight?”

========================

After a tearful Nettie Wells hugged Vin Tanner nearly to death, the two men helped themselves to pot roast with potatoes, sliced carrots, mini onions and gravy that Joey thought should be bottled and sold. The two men joined Colonel Guthrie at a booth in the far corner of the dining room. Looking around the room, Joe realized this had been an all purpose room that was now as cozy as any restaurant he’d been to in Chicago.

While eating, LaFiamma brought up the police offer.

“The Chief of Police came to Iris Lane and talked to me about this police job. Plus several officers and Detectives have asked me to take it. What I am going to propose to them is this … your old office and those two conference room would be a sort of a ‘satellite office’ for detectives. But I also want to start an investigation division of TBC. The name Fiama Investigations has been suggested after the name my Marines put on that Humvee. We would hire and or use some of ours to strictly work for this division.”

“Doing what?” Guthrie asked as he savored the meal.

“Your high tech companies hire people. They hire investigators to check them out. But today everything is computerized.” Joey explained seeing a light go off in his lover’s eyes.

“They hire us for security,” Lee began, “and hire the Investigation Division to find out everything on new and old employees.”

“You got it.”

“And you’d be doing both jobs here. I take it you have someone in mind already to assist with investigations.”

“Mick .. Michelob Brown. He got fired because he volunteered to come to the Iris Lane call. He is as high tech as you can get. He’s been getting things for me there that I didn’t think were possible. Plus you need to know I found two bank books in a wall safe at Iris Lane. One is for John and one is for me. John’s have over eight hundred thousand dollars in it. The deposits seemed to stop when the government wanted to declare him dead. Mine are still accumulating. I don’t know where the deposits are coming from but … what is there equals close to four million dollars.”

“Four Million? Where’d it come from?” Guthrie gasped almost choking on his pot roast.

“I don’t know. I don’t recognize any of the banking numbers. A friend of Vin’s, a fellow agent, is a financial man. A wizard. I want to try to bring him on here.”

Finishing his meal, Joey looked sharply at Vin. “When you were a bounty hunter, was it profitable?”

Tanner barely glanced up as he devoured, lovingly, the chocolate éclair that Miss Nettie had set in front of him. “Forgot all about that money. Ranger held it for me. Damn, that was six years ago. I’d better call him and see where it is.”

“You have money sitting in some bank?” Guthrie asked surprised the man didn’t know.

Looking up into two stunned faces, Vin answered, “Was doing a lot of travelling … tracking. He sent me my expenses and invested the rest.”

Glancing at his watch as he pulled his phone, Vin called Rangeman Security in Trenton, New Jersey. After a short conversation in Spanish the Texan hung up.

“Well?” Lee and Joey questioned.

“Bank of America. My name … Vincent Michael Tanner and my Social number. I can go to any of their banks with my Federal ID. Close to a million dollars, he thinks. Guess I can afford a new Jeep now.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Walking out of the TBC dining room, Colonel Guthrie looked at Joseph and Vin saying, “Joseph. You don’t need to cook for us anymore. Miss Nettie and her sister Nellie are now the resident cooks of TBC. Whatever they want for the kitchen, or to change the seating arrangements, we’ll make it happen. I have never …ever…tasted such fabulous home-cooking before.”

“You need to tell Jimmy that, Lee. You put him in charge of them, remember?” Joey responded stopping in his tracks as he stared at a wanted felon and three other men standing just inside the front door.

Tanner saw the men also and grabbed Guthrie’s and LaFiamma’s elbows pulling them into a small room.

“That’s Vargas,” Vin gruffed. “There are two Federal warrants out on him. Illegal drugs and human trafficking. What’s he doing here?”

Colonel Guthrie stared at the two men. “His name isn’t Vargas. He was hired eight months ago to man the front desk.”

“Didn’t you hear Nellie say that she’s been running to catch that phone out there because no one’s been at that desk all day,” Joey remarked tersely. “If someone here suggested him than that man is at risk to your whole operation.”

Looking around, Joey asked, “Where’s Pulie?”

“He was in that front office with you,” responded Vin. “I’m texting Richmond. It appears he put his number in my phone on the flight back from Dallas.”

Lee and Joe turned suddenly when Vin’s phone got an immediate response.

Tanner grinned. “ATF and Houston PD have had this building under surveillance for the last month because of suspected drug activity. They are just getting ready to storm the building and arrest everyone in it.”

Joey shook his head saying, “Lee your own operation is in jeopardy as is the companies you protect. Vin, are you armed?”

“Gun’s in my duffle bag. Got two knives on me though.”

“My gun’s in my apartment. Okay, looks like Pulie might have found drugs in that office. Tell Richmond to come ahead. I’m going to walk out whistling for the dog and see what happens.”

“And get shot,” Guthrie rasped moving in front of the man.

“I’m going to keep you and everyone upstairs, and Nellie and Nettie from being arrested.”

-=-=-=-=-

Looking at Tanner, Guthrie said, “I remember seeing a Mare’s Leg attached to one of the legs of a table in the conference room.”

“You stay here Colonel. That’s an order.” Joey growled, as he and Vin stepped out of the room.

The two friends walked toward the front of the building. Just as Tanner dropped into the conference room Joe whistled for his dog.

“Pulie! Sie kommen… where are you dog?” Joey called as the men standing by the desk twisted around.

-=-=-=-=-=-

_Mare’s Leg as a table leg, sure! Four tables … no gun. All we have is a … holy hell a horse! A stuffed horse with a saddle, a gun and real bullets. Whoa-ho._

_-=-=-=-=-_

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Vargas shouted at Joey as he laid his hand on the office door.

“I left my dog in here when I looked at this office. I rented it this afternoon.”

“It’s not for rent. This whole place is occupied.” Vargas grumbled, reaching for his weapon.

Tanner moved out with his weapon just as the ATF burst in through the front door.

Vargas spouted off about being someone who worked at TBC but that was quickly debunked by several Federal officers.

“Yeah, well we’re clean. Just friends standing here….” Vargas was cut off my LaFiamma.

“Richmond! They were attempting to keep me out of this office. My war dog told me this office is teeming with drugs. That desk they were standing next to had his attention earlier.”

While Tanner talked with his new boss, LaFiamma went back to the storage room to confront his Colonel on some new procedures they need to start doing.

-=-=-=-=-

Before the door was even closed, Colonel Leland Guthrie moved off the wall he’d been leaning against.

“This could ruin us. A drug bust in our building. Companies we supply security for…”

“Stop right there,” Joey ordered. “One, we are going to totally revamp how we investigate. I am ordering a AI ... that is artificial intelligence… computer, who can go anywhere. Tanner’s team in Denver has a young man whose IQ is off the charts. I want to talk to Vin about him.  I am also talking to someone about our finances. Right now, I want you to go upstairs, take a hot bath and just relax. And make sure you clean and dry that tub real good.. Lee .. because you’re going to be punished for your oversights.”

Guthrie’s eyes darken. _Naked. Tied down. Wanting._

_-=-=-=-=-_

“You guys about done?” Joey asked walking into the fray.

”Sorry to say we had to take that desk apart,” an ATF agent explained pointing to the dismantled desk. “Office is cleaned out too.”

Joey looked at Pulie.  “Pulie. Jagd.”

The ATF agents moved back as the dog began to walk around them. Around the desk, into an alcove, and then back into the office. He stopped by what appeared to be a large picture frame. “Woof, woof.”

“Let’s go have a look,” Joey said to no one, as Tanner and Richmond followed him.

Hands searched the edges feeling for a lock or hooks but none were found.

“Slid it,” Tanner suggested, as he pushed to his left.

“Not enough room that way,” Richmond mused. “Push it this way.”

Joey whistled and Pulie barked as the painting moved to the right revealing stacks and stacks of US dollars in neatly wrapped plastic packages.

“Pretty damn good haul, Tanner, for your first day on the job,” Joey chortled as Richmond called to other agents.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joe and Vin had been looking at the architecture plans for Iris Lane for an hour.

“Something is not right here,” Vin said solemnly. “I just can’t put my finger on what it is.”

“Let’s roughly draw out the house on this white board, outlining the attic…”

“That’s it!” Vin exclaimed. “The metal floor only covers the house. So when the house implodes … the fish get pushed up the slide and out!”

“Holy hell!” Joey rasped. “The blast would open those French doors and probably the windows sending fish into the backyard.”

“And airborne.” Tanner surmised shaking his head. “How the hell we going to keep that from happening?”

“Do you think there is a way to take off the roof and expose the shooter? We could take him down from the roof of the Humvee. Where is that report from Major Menno about what they found? Some kind of tubing that runs around the roof.”

Just then LaFiamma’s cell rang with ‘Chicago, Chicago, my kind of town.’

“LaFiamma. Yes, Dillard, what’s happening there?”

_“The electric company came by just after you left. Apologized profusely for not turning off the power yesterday. Said the person you talked to, that the Governor’s office talked with, had been dealt with as has her supervisor. Interesting things have happened since then.”_

“What kind of things have happened,” Joey questioned putting his phone on speaker.

_“Mick has been monitoring the robot. The thing shut down about an hour ago. Bear, Frog and I went into the house. Did a walk through. Noticed in the addition that lights were blinking all around the French doors but we didn’t venture in. Frog did take a pan from the kitchen and toss on the floor towards the door. Nothing happened.”_

_“Then being the brave souls that we are … we stuck another pillow on the broom handle and waved it into the attic. Nothing happened. Frog slowly backed up the stairs. No red lights were on the robot. He walked around the attic and the robot disconnecting plugs. On the way out of the house, we decided to check under the stairs. We disconnected the batteries that were there and pulled down several ammo strips. We’re not sure but it may be disabled. We’re just waiting to see.”_

“What about the fish? Have you noticed anything different about them?” Joey asked.

_“Frog moved some things under the stairs and we discovered that part of the floor is glass. Some of the fish are floating to the top, which means they’re dead, right?”_

Vin and Joey looked at each other as Vin said, “Maybe the tank was being aerated, All fish tanks have those bubble filter systems.”

“Dillard. Have any firemen checked back with you?”

“ _I got a call from Firehouse 61 asking if you’d made a decision on the foam.”_

“Foam?” Vin asked.

“One of the fire chiefs that came out when Jeffrey was rescued from his bedroom suggested using foam on the backyard. The stuff they use to suck up the oxygen for airport fires.” Joey explained.

“That stuff works fast and a couple of layers might work. Might have to pay for it though,” Vin answered. “We still have to worry about the implosion, and what the ring is around the roof.”

“Dillard, is Mick with you?”

_“Yes. We’re on speaker.”_

“Mick, have you had a chance to contact JD Dunne?” Joey asked as Tanner gave him a surprised look.

_“Yes! And he is definitely interested in the job. I told him what you planned to do. Told him Vin Tanner was here and about working for Fiama Investigations could also make him eligible to live in one of the apartments of the Texas Bond Company. This kid is a brain, Captain. You need to get him down here before the ATF zaps him into some think tank and no one will see him again.”_

Vin and Joey grinned at each other. Vin spoke first.

“This is Vin Tanner. So the killing machine is dead thanks to the electricity being cut off. If you can, send a text to Major Menno telling him we need clarification on what they found on the roof. We need to know what that is before we proceed.”

“Okay, guys. We are closing down here for the night. Be sure to monitor the place over night. Dillard, let the Fire Chief know that we are still interested in foaming the backyard and the backyard of the houses up the street. See if he can tell you the cost. Don’t do anything that will get yourselves killed.” LaFiamma informed his crew.

-=-=-=-=-=

 

 


	5. Father and Son Reunited

 

“HEY YOU GUYS! TANNER! JOSEPH!” Thomas shouted loudly from the open elevator.

Closing the door behind them, the two men walked out and were dumbfounded by Chaco sitting motionless next to Thomas’ wheelchair.

Suddenly Tanner grinned broadly, “Travis used to hide his tennis balls behind him when he sat down. Could we move you to a chair, so the dog can see there is nothing behind you.”

Joey helped Thomas move from his wheelchair to a straight backed chair. Then they watched Chaco put his front paws on the vacant wheelchair and sniff every corner. The dog jumped onto the chair looking over the sides and the back before turning around and sitting down.

Chaco stared at them, as Vin, Thomas and Joey laughed.

“I do believe he’d like to know where you have hidden them, Thomas,” Vin remarked.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Okay. Let’s stop in and check with Richard to find out what guest room is open. You need a place to crash. I also want to pick your brain on JD Dunne.”

“JD shared everything he heard with Buck Wilmington who then told Larabee who was then in MY face. Here I don’t know, but I can see him bringing up a subject with someone working on the same thing.”

“Reading his resume. He graduated from high school when he was twelve. Did college in three years.Then two Master’s. He is …”

“He’s a twelve year old in an adult world, Joey. I wouldn’t want to make this call. But my gut feeling is ,,  let him stay where he is.”

A quick stop and a map of the building, and the two men were back in an elevator. Joey walked through the small guest room as his longtime friend dropped his duffle bag and suit bag on a queen sized bed.

“Can I rent this?” Tanner asked as he walked through the 900 square foot apartment. “It’s bigger than my place in Denver.”

“Let’s wait until Iris Lane is finished. I could end up subletting my apartment to you. They don’t allow dogs … but everyone has one. Plus here, you will run into Amy.”

Tanner abruptly stopped. “Vargas was a good looking man. He’s the type that Amy would go for…you need to find out who got him in here.”

“You’re right. If he’s been working here for eight months, someone had to recommend him and get him through security.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Getting off at the top floor Joe used his key card to enter Guthrie’s loft. Or was it a penthouse. Joey didn’t really know.

“Lee!”

Moving through the quietness Joseph finally found his lover sound asleep in the Jacuzzi, stark naked and snoring. Taking a small paper cup full of water he slowly dripped it over Colonel Leland Guthrie.

“WHAT THE HELL? WHO DO…Joseph. What time is it?”

“It’s after midnight. Come on… we both need some sleep. Lots to do tomorrow.”

“Can’t we at least have a quickie?” Lee pleaded stepping out of the tub. “A shower would relax both of us and … you know how I love your showers.” Guthrie eyed his lover, his master, expectedly.

LaFiamma just stood there shaking his head.

“Why the hell do you think I spend so much time sitting at that long table in my glassed in office,” Lee groaned. “Every time you walk into the Command Center I get hard as a rock. Need to sit down to hide that.”

“Okay, Colonel,” Joey responded chuckling. “Plunging myself into your hot ass may be just what I need.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

In the Command Center, an image blinked up onto the large monitor.

“I found a marriage license!” Brooks said loudly. “I just picked up that a lot of military men went to Vegas to marry their sweethearts in case they got killed in Vietnam. I’m putting it up now. Rachel Brownee to Michael Tanner, US Navy.”

“Okay,” Richard ordered. “Flannigan. Get into your military archives. See if this man is still alive and activate.”

“Woohoo… Michael Tanner. He is a Navy SEAL Commander. Retiring this year from SEAL Team 5. I’m checking for inform on him.”

“We have checked five counties. So far no Vincent Michael Tanner found. But no one is giving up here.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

On the West Coast, a noisy Navy bar came to an instant halt when ATF Vin Tanner’s name and picture was announced by a CNN newscaster.

“ _Can you imagine, not knowing when you were born or how old you are? ATF agent Vincent Michael Tanner does not – know how old he is. He only knows he was born in Texas. This is the information we have on him. His mother died when he was five or six. He doesn’t know his father. He was raised in Texas foster care, running away from an abusive family when he was … he thinks thirteen. Hopped on a truck and got off in Denver. Mrs. Nettie Wells adopted him, though we don’t know if it was official, so he could go to school and have some family. He was an Army sniper and has been an ATF sniper in Denver for the famed Magnificent Seven, Team 7 for the last five years. He has just been transferred to Houston, the Southeast Texas office._

_“Captain Joseph LaFiamma flew up to Dallas this morning to pick up Agent Tanner. Evidently the two of them teamed up in the Middle East to rescue a SEAL team trapped by heavy equipment. A tank of monstrous portions. They did the impossible… shooting down the barrel of the tank’s gun simultaneously causing an explosion from within._

_“They hope to duplicate that tomorrow morning each shooting down the arm of this robot that has been terrorizing this neighborhood.”_

‘HOLY HELL, Commander…. Mickey…”

“That’s my son.” Michael “Mickey” Tanner spoke evenly still staring at the small image of Vin in the corner of the screen.

“HEY! Isn’t that the robot from The Terminator?”

Everyone in the bar watched the video of the red eyed robot shooting, reloading and firing again.

_“This! This is what LaFiamma and Tanner will be up against tomorrow. Joseph LaFiamma, a former Marine officer, was activated by President Bush earlier this week strictly for this house on 1935 Iris Lane. There is a similar house and address in Chicago where Captain LaFiamma was raised. That house was owned by his grandparents._

_“We will have a recap of what is happening there at ten.”_

Mickey spun around. Speaking to no one in particular he said, “Who is an available Navy jockey who can fly me to Houston?”

Two Navy pilots pushed through the crowd asking, “You sure you want to go unannounced?”

“This is the son I’ve been looking for since he was two. Damn straight I want to go there.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A gentle nudge on Colonel Guthrie’s bare shoulder woke him immediately.

“Sir. We have a situation downstairs. Do you know Commander Michael Tanner of SEAL Team Five?”

“Mickey? Yes.”

“He’s Tanner’s father.”

“I’ll be down in five.”

Guthrie pulled on jeans, a tee shirt and loafers.

“Lee…” Joey moaned rolling over.

“Something’s happening downstairs. Go back to sleep, you have a long day ahead.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Guthrie walked into an excited Command Center. Up on the huge monitor was a marriage license with pictures of Tanner’s parents. Rachel Brownee was a beautiful woman with long auburn hair that draped across her shoulders. Michael Tanner was a six foot, two inch manly dude in a Navy uniform that had both men and women in the room drooling over.

“Colonel. I found a cell number for him. I don’t know if it is still valid but thought you could call him ….”

-=-=-=-=-=

_The two Navy pilots and Commander Tanner were headed for the door when Mickey’s cell went off._

_“My number is unlisted..” he growled pulling out his phone. “Who is this? And how the hell did you get this number.” He growled fiercely._

“Colonel Leland Guthrie, Mickey. Have you seen the news? Figured you’d be at that bar on the waterfront. We’ve been looking for you. Now that Vin has been transferred to Houston we thought we’d try and surprise him by finding his father and his birth certificate. Are you coming this way?”

“ _How’d you get this number, Guthrie?”_

“Are you going to stand there talking all night or are you coming to Houston?”

_“I’m coming to Houston. Need to pick up a few things to give to Vin.”_

“Give me a call back and I will pick you up. I own the Texas Bond Company. It is a security business. Vin is staying here. Joseph says that Vin does not like surprises so I will tell him you are coming.”

_“Guthrie. You will not find a birth certificate. Vin was born on a military base with a midwife. At war time, that base was not official, but it was in Texas. I’ll call you when we are airborne.”_

-=-=-=-=-=-

Hearing voices in the living room, Joey rolled out of bed and headed for a quick shower. Lee left three hours ago and hadn’t returned. He should have gotten up then but this Iris Lane business had worn him down and he’d gone back to sleep.

Joey stared at the dress blue Marine pants. He was really getting tired of wearing them. If this case didn’t end soon he’d have to buy a couple more. Checking himself in the mirror to make sure everything was correct; he headed for the living room.

-=-=-=-=-=

Walking down the hall and into the main living area of Guthrie’s top floor loft Joey was startled to see the Commander of SEAL Team 5 in the living room. The Commander of the Team that he and Vin had rescued.

“Lee. What’s going on?” Joey questioned looking from one man to the other. “Commander?”

Colonel Guthrie saw Mickey’s raised eyebrow as Joseph called him Lee. “Joseph… This is  .. Michael Tanner. Vin’s father.”

“You’re kidding?” LaFiamma gasped.

Staring at the Navy man, LaFiamma said, “Vin said there was something about you… a memory flash of something. That he knew you from somewhere but couldn’t put his finger on it. He needs to know you are here before he meets you. And it best be up here away from anyone else.”

Joey’s phone chirped. He pulled it out looking at the caller saying, “It’s Vin.”

_“Hey dude! Are you up yet? We need to take the dogs out.” Vin said cheerfully._

“Bring Chaco up to Guthrie’s loft, and we’ll take them both out. I need to find Pulie. He’s here somewhere. I’ll meet you in the hall.” Joey answered deciding to wait until his friend was up here to tell him about his father.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Joey looked around the room and saw his dog stretched out on the sofa sound asleep.

“Well, it looks like someone gets to sleep in this morning.”

“Thought you were going to foreworn him, Joseph,” Guthrie groused.

“In the hall I’m going to tell him. Otherwise he could decide not to come up. I’ll take the dogs while you two chat, then we’ll all meet at my office and head to breakfast.” Joey said calmly as the Commander looked at Guthrie who merely said, “Agreed.”

Walking back down the hall to the front door, Joey could hardly keep from laughing. He was sure Commander Tanner had never seen a Captain give orders to a Colonel before.

Pulling open the door to the main hallway Joe was not surprised to see Tanner already there.

“Found my dog. He’s asleep on the couch and doesn’t want to get up. “

“Who’s here?” Tanner questioned his vibes on full alert.

“Commander of SEAL Team 5 saw you on television.” Joey responded quietly.

An instant flash of a toddler and a Navy man went through Vin’s mind. “He’s my dad.” The sniper whispered.

“Yeah… he’s your dad, and he’ll explain why no one’s been able to find your birth certificate.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Father and son stood staring at each other. Neither one spoke. Years ago Vin and his father had been this close yet no recognition came between them.

“It was a minnow,” Vin finally ventured. “It had gills, the same eyes, a tail.”

Michael Tanner smiled. “You never let me finish. Yes, it was a minnow ... which is also a fish.”

“Why don’t I have a birth certificate?” Vin asked as Guthrie motioned them all to sit down.

Michael picked up a large briefcase opening it as he sat.

Lee walked to the wall phone and asked a man named Bruce to come up and walk the two dogs. He knew the man spoke both Italian and German.

Unfolding a nine by five tan piece of paper, Michael explained this was equal to a birth certificate.

“You were not born in a hospital. You were delivered by a midwife on a base that wasn’t officially a base because of wartime. This includes a picture of your birth, the signature of the midwife, two nurses, and two other witnesses. One of those witnesses was me.”

“I met Rachel at a bus stop … and later at a restaurant. She was a waitress. Always smiling. Always telling people today was not a sad day. I watched for a month as people came in droopy and sad but left smiling. I asked her out and we hit it off right away. We read the same books. She liked to ride. I kissed her on the first date and we were married three months later. Dr Robert Red Feather was one of the best men I’ve ever known. He, pretty much, became my father after we married. My parents wanted me to marry some society witch. To stop that I joined the Navy. Best decision I ever made. Last I heard that witch was on her fourth husband.”

Vin sat spellbound listening to his father talk. He didn’t notice when Lee and Joe left for breakfast.

“Your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I was accepted into BUDS training, she packed us up and we drove to San Diego. Even though I was locked in for three months, she never gave up on me. Sent me notes through channels that even I didn’t know about. Sent me pictures of the growth of my son that I was missing.”

“My first assignment overseas came shortly after our little fishing trip. Do you remember sitting on the end of a dock looking out into the ocean?”

“There was a sailboat race that day,” Vin replied seriously. “You were trying to explain the different types of boats, and I was worried that they would scare the fish.”

Commander Tanner burst out laughing. “Even at two years old you were contemplating all the angles on why the fish weren’t biting. You were a born strategist, which also made you an excellent sniper. Colonel Guthrie told me about your new job. You were born for it Vin.”

“How long can you stay?” Vin asked glancing at his watch and noticing that Lee and Joe had left.

“I have thirty days to make up my mind about retiring or take an administrative job. Flying over here in the back seat of a Navy jet I decided I would retire. I want more than anything to learn about you. Be with you.”

“Rachel was there after my first assignment ended. But when we deployed with no end in sight, I drove her to Red Feather’s house in Dallas and then flew back. That was the last time I saw her … or you. Several years ago, I had six months of recovery from an injury. I spent it traveling through Texas trying to find Vin and Rachel Tanner. You both had vanished… totally vanished. How long is breakfast served?” The Commander asked standing.

“Miss Nettie will keep it for us, don’t worry,” Vin replied with a grin.

“Miss Nettie? Mrs Nettie Wells from Denver?” Michael gasped.

“You know her?” Vin asked amazed.

“Come on, I’ll tell you about it on the way, Or, I’ll let her explain.”

Stepping into the elevator together, Vin remembered the Christmas cards Nettie always looked forward to. “You’re the Michael who sends her a Christmas card every year, from places around the world?”

“I am. We met on one of my trips to the Dallas area looking for you. She and her husband, Frank, picked me up when I was hitchhiking. They were on their way home to Denver. They ended up driving me all the way to Flagstaff, Arizona. Put me on a DC3 to San Diego. I’ve sent her a card every year since then. She was kind of stability in my life I hadn’t had with family. My parents were high society in Dallas-Fort Worth. They didn’t approve of me enlisting or of me marrying ‘out of my class.’ Miss Nettie was a breath of air, just accepting me as I was.”

-=-=-=-=-

Most of the TBC employees that had breakfast before leaving their shift or going on were gone when the two Tanner men walked in. Joseph and Lee were sitting at a table with Devlin having a serious discussion about changing to the first floor offices.

Mrs. Nettie Wells was cleaning off the serving table when Vin spoke.

“Miss Nettie.”

Looking up into two familiar faces Nettie Wells gasped. “OH MY LORD!”

“Miss Nettie,” Michael said quietly assisting her to a chair.

Nellie Rossi came out of the kitchen when she heard her sister’s startled words.

“Commander!” Nellie croaked, looking him up and down. “You are looking good.”

“You two know each other,” Nettie asked watching the hug her sister was giving Michael.

“One of Mrs Rossi’s son’s was a Navy corpsman who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” Michael explained.

“Oh my,” Nettie repeated over and over again. “When I saw Vin in that homeless shelter I felt I was looking at an old friend. I knew I had to help him but I couldn’t place who he was. He was you, Michael. Oh my, I should have known.”

Vin dropped to his knees before his adopted grandmother. “Miss Nettie. A very smart lady told me once … You can’t worry about yesterday, it’s gone. To make tomorrow happen, you have to be your best today.”

No one said a word for several seconds. Then Miss Nettie laughed, saying, “You always were a sponge Vin Tanner. Soaking up everything around you. Nellie! These boys of ours need breakfast.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

In the conference room, the builder’s plans were laid out on the light table. Vin Tanner studied them intently flipping the pages for each layer of the house. Standing back he looked at Joey.

“We’re still missing one. There is nothing here about the roof. The composite of the shingles. Or the structure beams. Can we get into the architect’s house and look for more?”

LaFiamma pulled out his phone and called Houston Dispatch. A short conversation later had Joe, Vin and two dogs in the Expedition heading for Carleton’s house.

In the conference, Commander Michael Tanner still leaned against the wall with a soft smile on his face. He’d watched his son for over an hour pouring over lines and diagrams on blue paper. LaFiamma had glanced his way now and then, giving him a slight nod. But Vin, like himself, had all attention on what was in front of him. It didn’t  matter if Vin knew he was there or not, watching the boy he’d birthed was the reward he’d waited all his life for.

Pulling out his cell phone, Michael called his Admiral to inform him he was taking full retirement. He’d found his son. He was moving to Houston.

-=-=-=-=-

“Wow!” Vin gasped loudly looking at the house Joey stopped in front of. “Maybe I should become an architect.”

“Don’t think they all make this kind of money, Vin,” Joey responded as he hit the latch to open the back. “Cops are here. Let’s go have a look.”

Even LaFiamma was amazed at the elegance of the inside of the house.

“This way,” one of the officers said, motioning the two toward a flight of stairs that went up into an open loft over the living room.

Pulie had other ideas. His nose was in the air, he was on the hunt. Seconds later the dog let out a howl as he raced up a spiral staircase to the second floor.

“Hey!” Yelled an officer.

“He’s a drug dog,” Joey explained. “Who lives here besides the Carleton’s? Wait. They had a son who disappeared. Jeremy, you come with me. Vin … up those stairs.”

“Joey. This way. He’s sitting in front of a door at the end of this hall.”

Joe watched the officer put on a pair of latex gloves before slowly opening the door. Pulie pushed past them and headed straight for a large double closet.

‘Phew! If this has been growing since he disappeared,” Joey remarked, “It must take up the whole closet by now.”

Each man reached for one of the closet door knobs and slowly folded back the doors.

“Holy smackers!” Officer Jeremy Wickers yelled stepping back. “Looks like a jungle in there.”

“It’s getting light from that back window. The drip system is still going. Who should we call?” LaFiamma asked. “Feds or our guys?”

Joey called it in.

Houston PD Drug Enforcement squad came first and then the DEA arrived. Once the Feds arrived LaFiamma explained that the boy who was growing it was dead, plus the parents were … well, gone.

-=-=-=-=-=-==

Joining Vin in the loft office, Joey found Tanner pouring over two more sets of prints.

“What have you found?”

“What I have found, Detective LaFiamma,” Vin responded chuckling, “is good and bad.”

“The good part is the shield that the tubing around the roof holds is not bulletproof. It can be punctured. But …puncturing it will release some projectiles that will puncture the plastic bubbles the corpses are in.”

“Shit!” Joey muttered. “That will turn those preserved bodies into skeletons in a matter of minutes.”

“And then there is the robot,” Vin continued. “By rights, it should no longer be functioning….but … these last set of prints show that it has been adapted or rather the computer can adapt it to work off hydropower. Meaning it can use the water from the fish tank to keep going until the water is gone.”

“Why did he do all time?” LaFiamma asked.

“Some men go a little crazy when they don’t get the woman they want.”

“This is a little beyond crazy, Agent Tanner. Way beyond crazy. He builds a house, a duplicate house to one in Chicago. Marries another woman and then murders her and her brother. Encases them in clear plastic to preserve them…and then … he has a robot built to protect them… that is beyond crazy. What about the fish?”

Motioning Joey over to another table, Vin pointed out something on the first set of plans. “This is the first set of plans. When the house was first built …it had all the tubing, all the explosives for the imploding. All these years, they have been living with the possibility of the thing blowing up.”

“Good grief,” Joey moaned.

“Any chance I can talk to your grandfather. There are a couple of things he might be able to connect since he was held in this house.”

“Sure. I can arrange that,” Joey answered looking around to see HPD officers still present.

“What happens to the fish when the house implodes?”

“I don’t think we have to worry about what we were worried about,” Vin said with a grin. “The fish tank is part of the original house. Therefore the steel enforced flooring of the attic will seal that when the house implodes. I think he wanted it sealed completely off so no one could get to the bones in that tank. However, we have also found a USB stick which has lists of names on it. I made a copy of it and an officer took the original. Probably lists everyone in the tank.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey was suddenly aware of two men that had come up into the loft as Vin was explaining the plans. One was Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Richmond. The other one was unknown to Joe. What surprised the Italian even more was seeing Commander Tanner being escorted into the house by two ATF agents.

“Joey, what did Mrs Carleton tell you about the imploding? How does it start….” Vin began turning to look and discovering other people there.

“Richmond. Dad. What’s going on?”

The unknown man stepped forward and introduced himself. “Agent Tanner, I’m Robert Richards, the new ATF Director. I flew down from Washington after receiving your resume and going over your amazing college achievements. I have also talked with Judge Travis asking him why he never used your talents.”

“I asked Commander Tanner to join us when I was informed that he is your father. Hoping he could help convince you to take another position”

“I’m fired already?”

“Vincent.” The Commander said softly. A tone Vin remembered as a child.

“Can we do it here, or do we need to sit somewhere?” Agent Tanner asked.

“This is fine,” Richards replied. “You are in the middle of an important project. The whole world is watching.”

“Good lord I hope not,” Vin moaned looking extremely stressed.

“Nothing we can do about it bro, it’s already out there.” Joey responded tightly.

“What?” Commander Tanner and Director Richards questioned at once.

Vin raised his eyes. Joey frowned.

“Son. Please explain.”

It was Joseph who explained.

“After we, Vin and I, rescued SEAL Team five we were sent on separate missions, but I heard about this from Vin. He had a sniper assignment to take out a tower in an area I can’t mention. Near that tower were several homes. All were listed as abandoned. After the shot was finished a man came forward swearing that Tanner had killed his family. The investigation proved that the couple and their children were killed by weapons found in the house and had been killed before Sgt Tanner and his spotter arrived in the area. Even though proved innocent, that man put a bounty on Vin’s head. One million dollars if you bring in his head. So far, there have been three attempts on his life.”

_I want that man’s name Vincent!_

Vin’s head came up and he looked at his father, then at Joey who gave him a nod.

“Yes sir, I’ll get it.”

Director Richards smiled. “Mental telepathy between father and son?”

“Yes,” Vin answered.

-=-=-=-=-

Sitting around the dining room table Director Richards explained why he was there.

“Texas Southeast Operations includes Field Offices in Austin, McAllen, Brownsville, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Laredo, plus two in San Antonio. There are also nine Groups or teams in Houston.’

Vin Tanner looked stunned. He knew Texas had a lot of offices but… wow. Looking at LaFiamma, the Texan said quietly, “Maybe I should take the offer at Fiamma Investigations.”

“Hear the man out, Vin,” Joey responded.

“Two Texas agents, one from Brownsville, one from Austin, called and left messages on a hot line I’ve set up. Each one had been in your weapons seminar in Dallas. They both were amazed at the knowledge you have on antique and modern day weaponry. Texas ATF has a position that we’ve never filled… because we’ve never had anyone who was expert enough to fill it. I watched a video of your seminar this morning. I believe I have found the man for that position.”

“A lot of guns go through here, Vin,” Joey put in. “Some I’ve seen are weird. You’d probably know what they are just by looking at them.”

“What does the strategist’s job entail?”

“Paperwork. Field study. Nothing like what you are doing up there. Think military intelligence.”

“Military has intelligence? No offense Dad.”

The Commander smiled saying, “Show him the weapons you can’t identify.”

Special Agent Richmond reached down and pulled up a thin folder. Opening it, he laid several pictures of weapons that had question marks on them in front of Agent Tanner.

Vin reached up and shifted them around like dominos. Tapping his finger on one he asked, “Where was this one found?”

“Check the back.”

“Someone tried to pawn this? They didn’t know what they had. A collector in France would pay half a million for this antique baby.”

Pulling another picture to the front, Vin whistled, “This is a Civil War revolver from the 1860’s. It’s worth about two thousand dollars.”

Vin pulled the first one back down along with two other ones. “These are from a private collection in Dallas. I’d be interested to know where you got them.”

Pulling his cell out, Vin scrolled down his contacts to George’o Marcello.

“Vin Tanner calling for George’o Marcello. I’ll hold.”

Looking up at the stunned ATF faces, Vin Tanner quietly said, “I believe sir, you have just found your weapons man.”

“Hey George”… and the rest was in French as ATF agents and Commander Tanner just stared.

Softly Joey explained that Vin was telling the man that some of his precious collection was in the hands of the ATF.

Clicking his phone off, Vin said, “Richmond. You’ll be getting a call from the Texas State Police. And if you have the driver of the vehicle these were in, you are to hold him until State Police can pick him up.”

“Now, Joe and I need to finish this project so the people on Iris Lane can return home.” Vin said as Joey’s phone chirped.

Hitting speaker, Joey answered saying, “LaFiamma. Mick, what’s happening?

“Captain. We’re getting some kind earth tremors. We’ve evacuated the Greenlee’s. The fire department got the two burglars out of Jeffrey’s house. We’re getting more fish in the backyard.”

“The piranha? Alive or dead?”

“They are dead.”

“Okay, we found more plans here. Tanner has discovered some things about the roof. We’ll pack up and be there shortly. Clear out the intersection. Have Major Menno do a flyover with a thermo sensor. We want to make sure no humans are in any of those houses.”

“Got it sir.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

As they rolled up the building plans and put them into the correct tubes, Joe asked, “What do you think is causing the tremors?”

“He’s running out of water. Used up all the water in the fish tank and is searching underground for more.”

As they closed the closet door to the safe that held the plans, Vin and Joe watched the ATF agents leave. Director Richards, Special Agent Richmond and Commander Tanner stood talking in a small group.

Vin watched the Washington Director hand his father a packet.

“Probably all your info bro. Come on. We need to find the dogs and hit the road.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

As Vin and Joey drove back to Iris Lane, Joe told Vin about the lawyer’s conversation with Mrs Carleton. “She said turning the key to lock the garage after it had been opened and closed ignited the fuse. What do you think?”

“I’d have to call Buck Wilmington but I think it is possible.” Vin answered as he pulled out his phone and speed dialed Agent Wilmington.

The two men listened as Buck explained about that type of fuse and that even if it was dormant for twenty years it would still work depending on the explosive. If the explosives got wet that would break the link.

“Wilmington. This is LaFiamma. Question about the key. Leave it in the lock or take it out?”

_“Leave it in. Taking it out, might take you with it.”_

“What’s happening with the Team? I heard that Chris got arrested and Travis is retiring.”

_“DA’s got a tight case against Larabee. His lawyer is trying to get him to accept a plea bargain. JD is being transferred to Washington. Ezra resigned. Josiah resigned; he’s going to be teaching at some Bible college in Dallas. Nathan … he wants to move to California but Rain doesn’t want to give up her practice here.”_

“What about you Buck?” Vin asked as they approached Iris Lane.

_“Might go back to Vegas. Got a call from Houston PD, they’re looking for a new Homicide Chief. That was Larabee’s job before ATF.”_

Vin gave Joey a surprised look as Joe whispered, “My idea.”

“Hell, Bucklin, you’ve worked with Chris for how many years at Denver PD and before that in the Navy. Come on down and see what they have. Lots of good looking women down here.”

_“Well, maybe I’ll give this guy a call. Team Seven isn’t going to continue. They have narrowed the teams down to five. This number still good.”_

“It is still good. And Buck, I found my dad. He’s a Navy SEAL Commander. Come on down and meet him.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Vin stared at his friend as they parked beside the Humvee.

“What?” Joey questioned.

“Did you plan all this… getting me, Buck and Ezra down here?”

“No. You, yes. I knew you were the only one who could help kill this robot. The ATF job, no. I had no clue on that. As for Buck, a detective knows him from the Navy; I just encouraged him to make the call. And Ezra ... you should know by now no one controls that man.”

Tanner burst out laughing. “Yeah. Even Larabee couldn’t get Ez to come in before ten o’clock.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Captain LaFiamma called Hobby International and asked for a no-fly zone in his area until he called in an ‘all clear.’ The Humvee was parked across from where the calculations of the robot should be in the house. A mirror was attached to the roof of the Humvee hoping the robot would shoot at that to give Vin and Joe input. Positions on the roof of the Humvee were laid out for Joe and Vin along with long guns.

Tanner stood at the curb as LaFiamma walked to the garage taking his grandmother’s key off his key chain as he went. Vin counted out loud as the key was turned and Joey made a hasty retreat back up the driveway.

Now they waited.

-=-=-=-=-=-=

Dillard started to pace. “How long do we wait? It’s been almost an hour.”

“Bucklin, didn’t know. It’s been dormant for a long time. Not safe to investigate.”

And then it started. A little rumble and an underground explosion. Joe and Vin hustled to the Humvee and climbed up.

“Looks like your cop friends are here to see the show,” Tanner remarked pointing toward the barricade.

Joey looked over Vin’s shoulder to see three cop cars and a paramedic unit.

“Got a fire engine coming up too.”

“It’s starting to blow!” Mick shouted. “Puffs of smoke on the corners of the main house.”

“According to the blueprints, the roof collapses exposing the corpses and the robot. But I’m not sure how that canopy is deployed.” Tanner remarked watching windows break in the house.

Joey called down to Bear. “Bear! Check with the fire department. See if they have a tanker available. If so, get them here on the double. We’re going to try an experiment and see if we can preserve those bodies.”

“Yes sir!”

“What are you thinking?” Vin asked, glancing between the house and his friend.

“Something you said back at the house about the robot pulling on water. It’s the computer doing it. The robot has been in an airtight place with no ventilation for ten years. Sudden exposure to the atmosphere ...”

“And a blast of water,” Vin continued, “Could short the thing out.”

“Exactly.”

Joey called Houston Dispatch for a connection with the engine company explaining what he wanted done. Barricades were moved and the tanker moved into place as smoke and more explosions came from the house.

Inside the Humvee Mick recorded the take down of the house as well as what was being shown on the air.

The earth shook as the house collapsed into the basement. The canopy failed to open as the roof split in half exposing the attics occupants and trapping the tubing of the canopy.

Everyone watched as Fire House 61’s tanker blasted the robot off the roof and into the backyard.

“That was cool,” Vin laughed, watching the robot flail in the air before landing with a thud.

“Now … clean up, Agent Tanner.”

“I hate cleanup. Couldn’t we delegate that to someone else?”

-=-=-=-=-

The decision was made to wait for two days before the Coroner could go in and remove the bodies. In the meantime, a 24 hour patrol was at the house to keep thrill seekers away. Piranha in and around the house were continuing to turn up dead. It was the fish in the houses up the street that had authorities baffled on how to get rid of them.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Vin Tanner was comfortable for the first time in days. He was leaning back in a corner booth in TBC’s dining room. His legs stretched under the table with his feet propped on the opposite bench where his friend Ezra Standish was sitting.

“What do you think, Ezra? Should I leave it where it is or invest it somewhere else?” Vin asked his former Team Seven team member.

“I think Mr. Tanner; we shall invest it somewhere else. But I definitely think you should use some of it for that mini ranch we looked at last week. The price is right. You have room for three or four horses and that property to the east could also be purchased for future use.”

“Future use?” Vin muttered as he devoured the cream puff with drizzled chocolate Miss Nettie had set in front of him.

“In case you marry… have a family ... want to build a bigger house.” Standish explained savoring the English tea Nellie Risso had found for him.

“How do you like working for the Colonel? Not as bad as Larabee, is he?” Vin asked looking up from his delicacy.

“It is extremely interesting to watch Colonel Guthrie and your father, Commander Tanner, working together. They are both military men that have similar but different ideas on how to do things. I am like an arbitrator pulling pieces of both together and making it work. This is probably the most interesting and challenging position I have ever had. I am enjoying it.”

Vin’s mouth dropped open and he stared at Ezra. “Hell Ez, you said a whole paragraph there,” Vin croaked out as a long finger swiped up bits of chocolate off his plate.

“How is the ATF job going? You seem to be doing a lot of traveling.” Standish asked as he opened a folder.

“It’s boring as hell,” Tanner remarked pushing the empty plate away.

“Looking at guns every damn day. No variety. Been talking with Joey about coming on as an investigator. He said with my bounty hunter experience and from living on the streets I was well qualified for the job. Pays the same too, and I can continue to share the apartment with my Dad.”

“How’s that going? You and your father?” Ezra asked quietly.

“That first night … maybe it was the change between Denver and Texas … I had the worst nightmare I’d had in years. I woke up in my Dad’s arms. He’d held me all night, half sitting, and half lying on the bed. My mother used to sing me this weird cowboy song… and in the middle of the nightmare I heard it. I just relaxed into the voice. I haven’t had a dream since. We’re both sharing our feelings. How he felt when he couldn’t find his wife and son. How I felt not knowing who my father was or where he was … and especially not knowing how old I was or where I was born.”

“HEY YOU TWO!” Buck Wilmington bellowed coming into the room. “That all you got to do is sit around drinking and eating?”

“Hey Buck!” Tanner barked easing out of the booth to meet his old friend and team member. “How’s the new job?”

“I love it! You were right, Vin. I am smart enough to do this job. Larabee made all of us think we were imbeciles and we definitely are not. I heard from JD. He’s asked for a transfer back to Denver and he’s going to be the new AD’s computer forensic analyst…. Or something like that.”

‘I figured he would hate that city,” Vin remarked picking up his empty plate. “I need to get back to LaFiamma.”

“Vin.” Ezra said softly. “Why don’t you ask Margaret to write your resignation letter to the ATF? Tell her why and she will come up with … what?”

“Yer getting to like that AI computer, aren’t you?” Vin questioned smiling. “Thanks Mr. Standish. I believe I will.”

-=-=-=-==-=

“Hey, Joey, got a few minutes?” Vin asked leaning into LaFiamma’s office where two detectives were standing.

“Sure Vin, come on in.” Joey answered.

Looking at the two detectives, Joe said, “Get that information to Mick so we can feed it into the computer. From what you explained to me, you’re both working the same case … the same perks are involved in both capers.”

“Randy … close the door on your way out. Sit, cowboy,” Joey said.

Vin chose a wing-back chair and propped his boots up on Joey’s desk. “I talked your job offer over with my dad last night. Told him why I wanted out of the other one and in this one.”

“What did he say?” Joey was interested to know the Commander’s opinion.

“He could see why I was bored with the guns. It’s just guns every day, no interaction with any people. No one knows I’m even there. No one checks on me to see if I want to go out to lunch. If I left, they wouldn’t miss me. Probably think I am off site somewhere.”

“Dad didn’t realize that investigations were done in such depth for companies. That you go into the company’s background and their employees before you present them with your presentation and security suggestions. He agreed that everything I have lived through would make me an excellent investigator. He said ‘he noticed how I size up every man who walked into a room.’ I hadn’t realized I did that but it’s from living on the streets of Denver when I was a kid. You had to know instantly whether a person was friend or foe.”

“Need help writing the letter to Richmond?” Joey asked.

“Ezra said I should ask Margaret. Tell her all the pros and cons of each job and let her put it together.”

“What do you think Margaret?”

“ _I will be glad to work with Vin on that document. I do believe he is far more qualified to be an investigator and to interpret cases for you than sitting around all day looking at pictures of guns. In fact, I believe that is something your young friend JD Dunne would be happy to do after the things Washington had him working on. He has been emailing Buck Wilmington daily on how unhappy he is.”_

Tanner sat up suddenly, “What’s JD emailing Buck for?”

“ _It appears Agent Dunne thought going back to Denver would be like old times. However, everything has changed and Team Seven is no more. Only five teams are in Colorado now.”_

“JD always had his laptop on looking at things,” Vin explained. “Maybe we could suggest him for my old job? Still… Mick seems overloaded; maybe you want to interview him here. Buck was always his mentor in Denver.”

“ _Perhaps Joseph, I could have a chat with Mr. Dunne and report back to you. And I shall be glad to put something together for you, Vin. it will print out in the conference office.”_

“Cool.” Vin remarked standing.

“How are we doing with killing the piranha? Dad and I drove over to Iris Lane last night. The three houses have hurricane fencing around them, with huge DANGER signs on each one. Might be good to get JD here. He found things for Chris that no one else could.”

“After much research, Mick finally contacted two state fish management programs. He found one in Florida that successfully killed piranha that were found in a retention pond. We are now trying to get authorization to use this poison – Rotenone. And it may have to be done through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The city put up the fence when we told them we were waiting on TPWD to make a decision.” Joey explained in a frustrated voice.

Vin stood by the door shaking his head. “Talk to the Governor. Didn’t he say services were available to you? How long before the Wildlife department makes a decision? Why don’t we send them some dead piranha? Maybe they don’t realize what is happening there?”

“That’s a damn good idea,” Joey remarked as he bounced up from his chair.  “You game for going out to pick up some dead ones … and deliver them. I’ve got the man’s name. Let’s run it by Ezra.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma and Tanner looked around the small eloquent office.

“Hell,” Vin whispered as Ezra talked on the phone. “Where’d he get this stuff?”

“How’d he get it all in here?” Joey responded as he took in the huge bookcase that took up one wall, paintings on another. Ezra’s desk and computer system were up against another wall. His desk looked out through a set of windows with wooden blinds.

“Gentlemen,” Ezra announced as he hung up the phone. “The Governor personally asked the Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife to take care of these fish three weeks ago.  He is appalled that nothing has been done. However, delivering fish to TPWD is quite impossible. One reason, his office is in Austin. Another, he is on several boards and …. I think Joseph; you should call your local news friends and take them out to Iris Lane. Explain that the Governor asked the Texas Parks and Wildlife to take care of the problem THREE weeks ago. Let their photographers get as close as possible to the live ones…”

“Joey! We could take some frozen meat … let them get video. You could give a speech…” Vin responded with a grin. He definitely didn’t want to do speeches.

 “FROZEN MEAT? Wait a minute,” Joey yelped.

Joey pulled his phone and called the head of the security of the Texas Bond Company. “Justin! Do you still have those boxes of arsenic candy you found in the basement? Good. We would like to use them to kill the piranha. At least try to.”

_“Joey. You’d have to put them into hamburger and then freeze it. Otherwise the candy would melt in the water.”_

“Okay, thanks. I’ll get back to you.”

“While exploring the Lower Levels, Security found a case of candy Nancy Chase made. Little packages all gift wrapped for everyone here. How much ground beef would be needed to mix those in? Freeze them into cubes to feed them to the fish?”

“If they are hungry enough, they will eat each other,” Vin said knowingly. “Joey. We need to drive over there and have a look.”

“I think, gentlemen, you need to take the packages and toss them into the backyard of 1935 Iris Lane. Whatever fish are still there, will devour them. We just don’t have the time to buy hamburger, mix, freeze it …. Let Margaret contact the press. The Director of TPWD likes PR. Let’s see how he does with negative PR.”

-=-=-=-

It was on the six o’clock news. Joey, Vin, Ezra, Colonel Guthrie and Commander Tanner sat in the first floor conference room having pizza and beer.

“Looking good, Joseph,” Guthrie muttered as he gave his lover a smile.

“The piranha devoured those packages in seconds,” Joey explained. “None of the packages behind the imploded house were eaten. But no one wanted to go in and retrieve them.”

“Let’s hope this works,” Vin answered as he took a swig of beer while texting his fiancée.

“Ezra. Sandy wants to hold off on buying a ranch. Joey’s partner, Lundy, has a ranch we could board animals at. Right now, we’re going to look for a bigger apartment.”

Joseph raised an eyebrow to Lee who smiled back at him.

“What about living here? Isn’t Davy home schooled with someone? You could ask Miss Nettie … wasn’t she a teacher?”

“With your Aunt Nellie going back to Chicago, Nettie is tied up with the café.”

“Have you asked her?” Joey inquired. “More than just she and Pappy are involved in that café. Your father for one. Plus they already have some college students that have put in applications.”

“As I recall, Sandy said she’d like to be in a more secure place. No rent here, as you’ll be employed by the Fiamma Squad. And Joey is correct. I’m the pastry chef for the café. Plus we have some Marines who are interested to do some ethnic cooking.” Commander Tanner put in.

“We’d need at least a two bedroom, but three would be better.”

Colonel Guthrie rose and gathered the empty pizza boxes. “What do you say we all take the elevator to the top floor? On the East end is a unique three bedroom apartment. Might be just what you are looking for.”

-=-=-=-

Sandy Blackburn leaned against Vin Tanner and took in the wide open loft apartment. She loved the open floor plan. The corner kitchen was accessible to the rest of the great room. She would be able to see Davey in the living room or Vin watching TV. Her table and chairs would just fit in front of the corner window.

“No rent? Are you sure?” Sandy asked, disbelieving what they said.

“It would be part of my pay package when I buy into the Fiamma Squad. We just need to pay for Internet and telephones.”

“But I still want to put away a monthly … something towards a house,” Sandy said as she slipped her arm around his waist.

“We can, but you heard the Commander. He’s been putting money away for me since I was born. It wasn’t used for a car or college, so he wants to use it to buy us a house. Still, we do need to start an emergency fund or retirement fund.”

“We need to go down and talk to Miss Nettie. I absolutely love this place, Vin. But it hinges on Davey. I want him to continue ….”

“I just talked to Miss Nettie,” Commander Tanner stated as he and Davey walked back into the loft. “No problem. He can work down in a nook in the kitchen. And the Home School general offices are only a couple miles away. I will be working only mornings, so any group activities I’ll be his chaperone.”

“Mom! You should see the cool stuff they are making down there. Miss Nettie’s going to teach me to cook too.” An excited Davey Blackburn exclaimed.

“I guess we better go home and start packing,” Sandy confirmed to her smiling men.

-=-=-=-

 

 


	6. The Robot

Driving into security parking the next morning, LaFiamma noticed two News vans parked on the street. _Oh joy. We’re on the air already._

 Stepping out of the elevator, Joey cornered Ezra. “I saw news vans outside.”

“Yes. They are here to see you but first you need to see Colonel Guthrie and sign papers for your corporate lawyer.”

 “As long as it isn’t Graham Hutchinson…”

“It is.”

“Then Mr. Standish you’d best get out of that contract. If it needs my signature, I will not sign it.”

“Let’s do the news guys first, Ez.” Joey said patting the man on the shoulder.

“Actually Joseph, the Colonel would like to see right now.”

“To hell with the Colonel. The news people have a deadline. Come on.”

-=-=-=-

Joey!”

“Captain!”

Dillard whistled and everyone fell silent.

“Saw the news last night but haven’t seen anything this morning. Please explain why you are here.”

“You haven’t been contacted?” Bradley asked. “The Wildlife office said they talked to you this morning.”

“EZRA!” Joey barked angrily.

“It is why the Colonel wants to see you, Joseph.”

“And why the hell was the call routed to him? He had nothing at all to do with Iris Lane.”

The Italian stormed out of the room. David and Vin jumped out of his way.

“Shit!” Bradley yelped. “I’ve never seen the guy mad before.”

“He’s pissed. If he was mad that table would be upside down,” Dillard put in as he followed LaFiamma.

Joey took the stairs _. This building is a jinx. We are moving out of this building._

Joseph stormed through the double doors of the Texas Bond Company’s security-computer section. Even Devlin moved out of his way.

Devlin looked at Dillard who just shook his head, stopping short of following his man into the glassed in office of Colonel Leland Guthrie. They watched Joey hit the wall and the blinds close.

“Joseph.” Lee rasped seeing the rage in the man’s face.

“You want to tell me why you took the call that I’ve been waiting three weeks for? What do you know about what is happening on Iris Lane?”

“You weren’t here, I took it.” Came the simple answer. “The man is getting the poison you requested and will meet you there this afternoon….”

“You don’t get it! The Wildlife director doesn’t get it! He hasn’t even been out there. You haven’t been out there!” Joey raged. “PIRANHA! MAN EATING PIRANHA… are in two houses. In their basements. In the septic tanks … tanks that leak into the earth!”

_Joey slow down. You’re going to have a heart attack. Get the phone number of the director. Call him._

Joseph spun around and looked out the door. The only window that didn’t have a blind. Dillard cocked his head and told him in sign language to slow down.

Turning he said quietly, “Give me the man’s number.”

 Joe stood at the other end of the long room and talked to the Houston Wildlife Director. Joe was right, the man had no clue what they were up against.  Joey agreed to meet the man, on site, at three this afternoon.

Joe leaned up against the far wall and counted to ten.

“Joseph. Are you all right?” Guthrie asked as he stood behind the man he loved.

Turning, LaFiamma gave a frank answer. “No, Lee, I’m not.”

Looking at Hutchinson, he said, “Well, counselor, what is your grip with me?”

“I originally came here to talk with the Colonel about you. I was interested to know how you could pass the Texas Bar exam without a law degree.  I ran into James Matheson down stairs. Confided in him my concerns about you. After he stop laughing, he told me he was one of your law professors. Said you most definitely had a law degree but chose not to practice in Illinois. Though he was surprised, he said, when he learned that even in the Marine Corps you did not practice law.”

“I didn’t join the Corps to sit in a cushy office or to spend all day in military court rooms. I joined to be a soldier … to find a family. I lost my family when my father, a criminal lawyer in Chicago, was murdered. And I found that family. Some of them are here in this building and are part of the Fiamma Squad.”

Joey looked from one man to the other, shaking his head he addressed first Lee and then the lawyer.

“Colonel. You have no right to tell Ezra who my corporate lawyer should be.”

“Hutchinson … the contract you gave Ezra Standish is void. I will not sign it.”

Joey pulled his phone and stared at the incoming call. “LaFiamma.”

_“Joey. I got your fax about giving Pulie to Justin Lee Smith. I have your dog, Gavin. I’m bringing him to you. Toby’s wife died of cancer and with the two little boys the dog was too much. Plus he said Gavin would stare out the window looking at cars that stopped at the house. He’s your dog, Toby said. Always has been your dog.”_

Joey watched Lee’s face when he said, “Gavin. Yes! Absolutely. See you in a few minutes.”

Guthrie stared daggers at this lover. This Gavin had interrupted their relationship many times.

“Joseph.” Lee grounded out through clenched teeth.

“You will love him, Lee.”

“I doubt that very much.”

 “Gentlemen, the press is waiting downstairs. Excuse me.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma stepped back into the conference room and clapped his hands. “Gentlemen and ladies. At three o’clock today I will be meeting the Houston Wildlife Director, Chad Smithers, on Iris Lane. He hasn’t been at the site. Admitted he has no clue on what is involved. We will see what we can come up with. Right now, neighbors are worried that their kids will climb the fences to investigate. Because of that, we want to find a solution and fast.”

“Joey! Can the press come too?”

“Long as you stay away from the houses and don’t get into trouble. Whatever you do, DO NOT let your photographers go inside the fence. I would hate to have someone eaten alive on camera.”

-=-==--

Joey called Fire House 61 to give them a heads up on what was happening on Iris Lane this afternoon. He requested an engine and a rescue squad to be on standby should something happen. His gut feeling was someone was going to get hurt.

Walking into the computer lab, Joey told Mick that Carolyn was on her way with Gavin. He explained the dog coming was 150 pound black Labrador that had gone through some unique training. He was also a search and rescue dog. As he turned to leave Thomas got his attention.

“Joey. I was just looking at Hutchinson’s web page. He has a LaFiamma as a legal consultant.”

“Who?”

“Anthony J. LaFiamma. Joined the team twenty-five years ago. “

“Anthony J … is my father’s name. Search that name in Texas and Houston. Let me know what you come up with.”

In the hall, the men heard some call, “You who? Anyone here?”

Joey stepped back to the door and looked out. A grin spread across his face when he saw Carolyn and a huge black Labrador.

“GAVIN!”

WOOF, WOOF, WOOF, WOOF. The dog bolted to him and would have knocked him flat if Joey hadn’t given the hand signal for STOP.

Gavin’s tail thumped so loud on the floor that Vin came out of his office to see what was going on. “Who is this?”

“This is Gavin. I was his trainer my first year in the Corps. I hated giving him up.”

“Looks like he definitely remembers you.”

“Joey,” Carolyn said in a concerned voice. “We have walked this dog for an hour . He hasn’t pooped all day.”

LaFiamma laughed. Gave a hand signal to the dog and walked him down to the bathroom.

“He’s trained to use the toilet,” Joey explained to the aghast faces. “Where we were, you didn’t want dog poop laying around. You didn’t want to step in it at night. And you definitely didn’t want the enemy to know that you had a dog.”

Suddenly the toilet flushed. Then there was a scratching at the door and a quiet ‘woof.’

Pushing open the door, Joey dropped to his knees and hugged his dog.

-=-=-=-=-

“JOEY!!” Thomas yelled as he wheeled out into the hall. “We just got this fax from Chicago! You have to read this!”

“Dillard. You’re coming with me at three. Vin?”

“I’m going to be working with Ezra. We need to find a corporate lawyer,” Dillard answered back.

Vin gave Joey a thumbs up. He definitely was going.

“A lawyer, right,” Joey answered pulling out his wallet. He took some business cards from a side pocket and leafed through them. Taking two out, he said, “Check with these two. The pink card …. I worked with her on a case. She is good.  And she’ll want to know why we don’t have any women in the Fiamma Squad.”

“She could be our token woman,” Vin offered.

Taking the two papers from Thomas Godfrey, Joey scanned them. His jaw dropped open as he read the Death Certificate of James Anthony LaFiamma. The note said the first death certificate was made out wrong. It was done before the body was examined and prepared.  In preparation, the body was washed down and during that process colored eye contacts were washed away. A fingerprint checked showed the man to be Special Agent James A LaFiamma, not Anthony J LaFiamma. This has also been forwarded to the District Attorney and the FBI.

“Thomas. I want you to call this man and verify this. Also want to know why it is just now coming to light.”

“I have that… they have been spending the last three years putting old certificates onto their computer system. You are the only known family member for Anthony LaFiamma. They got your name from the Cold Case Detective that arrested Theresa LaFiamma.”

“Okay, start searching for a house owned by Anthony LaFiamma in Houston. He was planning to move the family here, to get them out of Chicago and away from the mob part of the family. It was going to be a surprise for my mother’s birthday. My dad, his brothers Thomas and James, spent three months moving his study down here. Find him.”

“Wait. Make me a copy of this of … this. Hutchinson is up with Guthrie.”

-=-=-=-=-

Thirty minutes after he’d stormed out of Guthrie’s office, Joey and Gavin walked back into TBC’s active security center.

“Hutchinson still in there,” Joe asked Devlin.

“Yes. Who is this?”

“Gavin. My dog from the Corps. I was his trainer. We got separated after I was assigned to Guthrie Ops group.”

“Looks like a miniature pony.”

Joey laughed. “Actually he’s bigger than that.”

Gavin heeled next to Joey as several computer people craned heads to look.

Stopping outside the Colonel’s office door, Joey said, “Arresto. Soggiorno.” (Stop. Stay)

Joe knocked and then entered.

“Another dog? Joseph, this place is being overrun.” Guthrie lamented.

“I gave Pulie to Justin. He patrols daily with the dog. This is …. Gavin.”

LaFiamma watched the emotions scrolled across his lover’s face.

“Gavin? The same… ah….”

“The guy you were jealous of. Yup, that’s him.”

Several revelations hit Graham Hutchinson as he observed the interaction between the two men. When LaFiamma was here before, he’d been surprised that the man called the Colonel ‘Lee’. Now he realized they had a relationship and Colonel Guthrie was not in charge.

“Hutchinson! This was just faxed to me from Chicago. I received it because I am the only living family member of Anthony Joseph LaFiamma. Though my older brother, John, is alive, most extended family members have written him off as dead. You want to tell me why my father never contacted me … that he wasn’t killed that day.”

Graham was glad he was sitting as he read the information. All these years Anthony didn’t understand why no one looked for him. Several times, he opened his mouth to explain. Finally he stood.

“For years, he couldn’t understand why no one came looking for him. Jimmy knew he was moving the family to Houston. He, Jimmy and Thomas spent three months moving his study to the house down here. But Jimmy disappeared and the FBI wouldn’t tell him where he was. This explains so many things. One, he was in the garage storage area getting something for you. He witnessed a murder in his garage but he didn’t know who it was. His gut feeling told him, he had to flee. He was afraid the murder would be blamed on him. He was working a high profile case and had been threatened.”

“The circus case?”

“Yes.”

“So all these years he’s been hiding from the threats of that case. Have your investigator, Joel Barry, go into the archives of the Chicago Tribune. Anthony LaFiamma’s funeral took up several pages. People he helped came forward to give testimonies. I personally don’t think my mother was ever aware that it wasn’t her husband who died that day.  Aunt Theresa handled everything. In fact, I found out just recently that Aunt Theresa was the person who put the hit out on dad. My mother took the death hard. Texas weather would have been good for her. The dampness in Chicago was killing her … and did. She died five years later.”

“I’d like a copy of this. I’d like your techs to find the information on the funeral. The house he purchased … is on this street.”

Joe’s head shot up. “Of course! No wonder that house has been bugging me. He had pictures of it all over his study. I told him I wanted the turret room so I could shot any Indians that threatened us.”

“I’ll make a copy of that here,” Joey said reaching for the document. “A couple in fact. Your office might like to have one too. Then I need to leave. Have things to do before three.”

-=-=-=-

Joey stopped back in the Fiamma Computer Lab and asked Mick to find the information Hutchinson wanted. Then he picked up Tanner and they went into Joey’s office.

“You’ve got a smile on your face. What have you come up with?” Joey asked as he sat and petted HIS dog.

“While you were upstairs, your brother John called. I had a long talk with him. He’s on his way in. He suggested something that I think will work. It’s something he saw in South America and it killed every fish in the lake.”

“What was it?”

“Electrocution. Electrify the water. Everything in it will be fried. Scoop up the dead fish and take them to the foundry or one of places that flatten cars.”

“Much safer than poison that could seep into the water system. We’d have to get the power company to agree to do that.”

“Actually, Margaret could do it. She can put in a code to block any house or business from getting the surge. All we would need is a lineman to drop the wires into the yards, or pull out some wires in the houses and put a surge through them.”

“By the way, you need to tell Margaret she is only for the Fiamma Squad. People upstairs are using her too much. And of course, Ezra does. He’s working for both you and Guthrie.”

“Margarita …”

_“Joseph, the name is Margaret.”_

“Look up what Margarita means in your database.”

They waited several minutes for her to come back. Joey pulled open a drawer and retrieved a rawhide bone for Gavin.

_“It says … oh no. If I overstep what I am programmed to do, I will be shut down and reprogrammed with a new name. Does this mean Tasha will be coming here?”_

“No. That means I give you a preprogrammed message and Margaret will be terminated and reborn as someone else.”

_“Terminated? Dead? Abolished?”_

Tanner and LaFiamma grinned.

“Yes.”

_“What do I have to do to keep that from happening?”_

“Joseph LaFiamma paid to have you created. I had you programmed for the company I was putting together. You do not belong to Colonel Guthrie. You do not belong to the Texas Bond Company. You belong to Joseph LaFiamma and the Fiamma Squad. Only those working for and with me and Vin Tanner are allowed to use your capabilities. Anyone who wants to use your resources will have to go through Vin Tanner, myself or Ezra. Though we will have to talk to Ezra as he is also on Guthrie’s payroll.”

_“The people who have put a Margaret icon on their computers upstairs, are not allowed to use me?”_

“Who are they?”

 _“Justin Lee Smith. Colonel Guthrie. Several people who man the security cameras of_ companies _.”_

“Justin Lee Smith. Yes. He needs you to verify all applications. The rest no. If Guthrie shouts at you, tell him he needs to get his own super computer, or send him to me.”

“Joey. Why couldn’t she make a mini computer person just for Justin? He has to check fingerprints of all applicants and employees, plus any visitors the residents have.”

“Can you do that Margaret?” Joey asked even though he knew she probably could.

_“What name would you like her to have?”_

“Lily.”

_“Lily, it is. The next time he clicks on my name it will turn into a bunch of lily of valley flowers and she will explain her use and what she can do.”_

“Vin, could you check with Miss Nettie, see if she could make up something for us to have an early lunch. Have a feeling we might miss out on dinner tonight. Then I need to check with BC to see if there is a spare apartment here.”

“You don’t live with Guthrie?” Tanner asked, surprised by this revelation.

“No. Definitely not. Need a two bedroom because this little dog needs his own bed.”

-=-=-=-=-

“WHOA!” BC and Justin yelped. “We have a pony in the house.”

“Okay you guys. He’s a Labrador Retriever. A search and rescue US Marine Corps dog, retired. I trained him in the Corps. I need a two bedroom apartment here. Do you have any?”

Joey watched the two exchange glances. Shaking his head, he explained, “I do not live with him. No one has ever lived with him. Now, I need a two bedroom or a bedroom with a den. It can be a small bedroom because it is for this monstrous dog who has grown even more since the last time I saw him. I need a good kitchen because I like to cook. What do you have BC?”

“If you don’t mind the third or fourth floor, I’ve 3 or 4 available. Everyone likes the upper floors.”

“Four would be good. But let’s look at them all.”

-=-=-=-

“Third floor is out. None of these will work. The ones on the fourth floor, any in the front of the building?”

“Have one up there that is kind of odd.”

“Let’s take a look.”

Getting off the elevator, Joey saw just a whisper of a purple dress. It appeared to come out of the door they were walking toward.

BC unlocked the door and they walked in.

Joey stepped into the room and looked around. _A turret! Hell, it’s just like that…_

“Looks like a turret. Like that house up on the corner.”

“I think this was built first and the house later. But, yeah, I noticed that they were similar.”

Joey stared out the window concentrating on the corner house. _Nine o’clock tonight, Papa. You and I are going to talk.  Just like the old days. Papa. At nine._

-=-=-=-=

In the kitchen of the house on the corner, Anthony LaFiamma spun around. “Joey?”

The doorbell startled him. He peered around the corner to see who was at the door, relieved to see it was Graham.

-=-=-=-=

“Kitchen is a little small but you have furniture in the basement, don’t you? Need something that could be a breakfast bar across here with stools. Maybe a small table with four chairs over there. My apartment is furnished, so I don’t have anything except weights, kitchen equipment and a stereo unit. What about washer-dryer? Those stackable things. Let’s look in the bedrooms.”

One bedroom was small, just right for his pony dog. The other bedroom was huge with a walk in closet, a sitting area, an alcove that a desk could fit into.

“I’ll take it. It’s perfect. Please don’t spread it around that I’m here. How can we pick out furniture?”

“We can do it right here,” BC replied pulling out his tablet. “Everything is cataloged and in the computer. Let’s have a look.”

Forty minutes later, Joey had his whole apartment laid out with furniture that would be brought up while he was on Iris Lane. BC would have Justin key in the fingerprint pad, and Joey could add whoever he wanted to have access to the place.

“This is wonderful! Once I move everything in here from my apartment I can give Sandy my thirty day notice.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Anthony and Graham sat in Anthony’s study discussing the documents that Graham had brought.

“I can’t believe this,” Anthony said for the umpteenth time. “Someone was paid off to say the body was mine.”

“Read that again,” Graham said. “He was wearing blue contacts. The original check of the body was blue eyes. You have blue eyes. The killers probably took his ID and ditched it without looking at it. It wasn’t until later when they were preparing the body … by then the family was already making plans for a funeral, and with no wallet they had no name to go with.”

“Still. Unless the coroner was on vacation that week. I knew the man; he wouldn’t let something like this slip by.”

“Joey said the death hit his mother hard. Theresa identified the body.  Didn’t want your wife to go through that. And Joey is feeling as you are. If you weren’t dead, why didn’t you contact anyone?”

“I sat in that garage storage room for hours. Watched them come and pick up the body. Heard Joey banging on a door to be let out. It’s when someone walked into the garage and said, ‘we need some of Anthony’s clothes for the funeral home,’ that I realized they thought it was me. At the same time, I remembered that threat. Thought it was a setup. Everyone left at six. I went in packed up my clothes, took the cash I had for a trip and left. I took the beat up old pickup truck I use for hunting. Still have it in the garage here.”

“I suggest we turn on the TV. Joey’s going to be on television. And you need to know that your father is here in Houston. Joey rescued him. Theresa had him kidnapped and held here for ten years. She also poisoned his wife, your mother.”

“My parents? Theresa?”

-=-=-=-=-

Joey stared at the empty closet in his office. _Where the hell are my clothes Dillard brought?_

Walking out into the hall LaFiamma yelled, “DDDAAAVVIIDD!”

Next door in the computer room, Dillard’s head shot up. “He never calls me David.”

“Sounds like you’re in trouble,” Thomas remarked as he watched Dillard get up from a computer desk and head for the door.

“Where are my clothes, Dillard? My uniform and those others things I asked you to bring. They are not in my office closet.”

“You have a closet in your office?” Dillard groaned in reply. _Yup he was in trouble._

Joey rolled his eyes. “Where are they?”

David pointed his finger up. _Guthrie’s closet._

“And just why the hell would you put them in Guthrie’s closet. I don’t live with Colonel Guthrie. Nobody lives with Guthrie! Even the woman he lived with in Rome didn’t live with him.” Joey rebuked.

Dillard watched his Captain start for the elevator. It took him all of two seconds to make the decision he’d better go along and help.

Joey stood in the elevator stone-faced.

Swallowing hard, Dillard offered, “I just thought because… well, you know. It’s just that everyone thinks you do live with him because.. you know.”

Joey held in his grin. He’d never seen Dillard so flustered before. A burp on his phone told him someone in-house was calling him. “LaFiamma.”

_“it’s BC. We found a really cool sectional we’re bringing up. Could you stop by before you leave?”_

“I can, yes. I’m bringing some clothes down there too.”

In Guthrie’s bedroom closet, Joey handed Dillard his dress uniform, a suit bag and two other changes of clothes. Once David was headed out, Joey checked his leather clothes bag to make sure his leathers, riding crop and other master toys were intact. He zipped it up and this time put the padlock on it. Then he gathered up the rest of his suits, shirts, pants and accessories and headed to his new apartment.

Walking into his new place he grinned at what he saw.

“Let me hang these up first, BC. Is Gavin still here? Haven’t seen him since I left.”

“He has already staked out the bed we put in there. Also found a huge bean bag chair which I put in there. Though you might want it in your office.”

Joe walked into the master bedroom and discovered a large antique dresser and armoire.  “Love these!” Joey called from the bedroom.

Walking back into the great room, Joey gushed, “Where did you find the dressers? They are fantastic and fit this apartment to a tee.”

“While we were looking in the basement, we found two more storage rooms. I think they are from the original owners. We cleaned them up and checked them for critters.”

From the hallway, Justin called into the apartment. “Joseph. Who do you want programmed into this entry pad besides you?”

“My second in command, David Dillard,” Joey replied before turning back to BC.

“This sectional has two corner units. One of which is a recliner. And this middle piece can be folded out into a twin size bed.”

“And the way that is shaped now …. Make the table and chairs into their own little space. Like the round table too. Have you taken a decorating course?”

BC laughed. “My wife stages homes for a couple of realtors. So I have kind of absorbed some of her things.”

-=-=-=-=-

Back in his office, Joey stood in his dress blue Marine pants, white shirt, looking at his dress blues jacket. He was debating about wearing it or not.

“Decision time?” Vin said coming up behind him. “Leave the jacket. This isn’t a formal occasion. Hopefully we will be able to turn it over to the Wildlife director and bug out.”

“Got a feeling something weird is going to happen. Someone …”

“A ghost of the dead….”

“You’re gettin’ that vibe too.”

“I am.”

“Well Falcon, guess you and the Stallion should head out.”

“Where’s Gavin?”

“I left him up on the fourth floor … an apartment I’m moving into. When this is over, I need to pack up my old apartment and give Sandy notice.”

-=-=-=

As they approached Iris Lane, Joey asked Vin, “Any chance I could talk Sandy into taking over the administrative position for The Fiamma Squad. We need someone to handle all incoming calls. Make appointments for us. Field calls … who is legit and who isn’t. Plus I know Ezra isn’t going to want to stay around forever.”

“I’ll talk with her,” Vin replied. “She’s been assistant manager of that complex for a long time. More than once she’s wished she had a less demanding job.”

“Good grief!” Both men groaned as they came upon a sea of media vans.

“Shit! Were we supposed to give John a lift?”

Tanner grinned. “He said he was driving himself, in case he wasn’t needed he could butt out.”

“Let’s park down here and walk up,” Joey suggested.

“I dunno bro. Might be safer if we drive up. Then we can hide in here if we have to.”

Joey parked just up from the Greenlee’s house, pulling his phone and calling Missing Persons as they walked up to the Reynolds house.

_It’s her, Vin. Missing three years ago along with a deaf friend._

_Something’s going down, Joey. Takes a lot of energy for a ghost to manifest this long._

_And look … they have her on camera. She’s using every dead person’s energy._

“Showtime partner.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joey introduced himself and Vin Tanner to Director Cunningham, who asked how that child got in there.

“I’ll explain in a minute, sir,” Joe answered looking around. When he saw the beat cops he motioned them over.

“Cory. This is Darlene, isn’t it?”

“Yeah… but how? How, Joey?”

“She’s using the energy of everyone else who died in the piranha field.”

“Are you saying that girl is dead?” Director Cunningham gasped.

“That’s what he’s saying,” an officer replied.

Turning, Joey asked his brother where his camper was parked. When Joey saw how close it was, he asked John to pull down the ladder.

“Do we have someone here from the power company?”

A man next to John raised his hand.

“John. Would you explain to me what you think will work? And have you talked it over with this man?”

The power company man smiled. “John and I have been in quite a discussion. He explained to me what they did in a South American village that had a lake full of piranha. This, hopefully, will be easier. We will do one house at a time. I’ve already checked with the City. Both houses have been condemned so any collapse or fire won’t matter. Our one concern is the septic tanks might blow. That would be one mess and a half.”

“Okay. John, I’m going to climb up to your perch and talk to Darlene. She knows deaf sign language. We need to know what is going on, on her side.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma knew exactly when every TV camera was on him. What he didn’t expect, was to hear from this father.

_Joey, be careful. Nine o’clock. I’ll be ready._

_Oh, Papa. I might need a hug by then._

_You ready Falcon._

_Ready Joe._

And so began, a discussion in sign language, as former ATF agent Vin Tanner interpreted for the media.

 

_Darlene:  My friend disappeared behind the first house. He was deaf so he couldn’t hear me calling. I left my bike and ran through the gate. The fish attacked me before I could even scream. … There are lots of people here. Some children. Some women. Mostly men. The grownups don’t understand why they were shoved down the slide._

_Joey: Where are the fish? These three houses?  The pond?._

_Darlene: Wherever there is water in the ground. These three and the pond behind the house. Jeffrey’s house has lots in the basement. They can’t get out because something big is caught in the entrance to the septic tank._

_Joey: The pond?  Do you mean the public pond behind the first house?_

_Darlene: Yes. The fish discovered a space in the steel wall that is in the ground. There is lots of them there. You have to kill them. You have to kill all of them. Maybe when you kill them my family will come back_.

Joey looked down at Vin and Officer Ramos.

“I’m calling up reinforcements now, Joey. We’ll get crime tape around there. It should be easy to electrocute them.”

  _Joey: Darlene. Is there any one in any of the houses that we haven’t found?_

_Darlene: You got the grandpa out from under the bed. He and I used to talk. THE ROBOT. He is reaching out to the pond for water. You need to stick the wires in there first and blow him up. Can you ask my dad and mom to move back here? I miss watching my dad cook hamburgers. No is around here anymore that Roger and I know._

_Joey: Vin and I know some psychic warriors. We’ll come and talk with you. Just let us know where._

_Vin: You want me to say psychic warriors?_

_Yes._

LaFiamma pulled himself to a standing position on the roof of John’s camper. With a loud whistle, he brought silence to the crowd.

“OKAY. LISTEN UP! ALL MEDIA PEOPLE …. BACK TO THE MINI MALL PARKING LOT OR ALL THE WAY UP TO THE END OF THE CULDESAC. WE ARE GOING TO BE SENDING AN ELECTRIC SURGE … MORE THAN ONCE, INTO EACH OF THESE HOUSES. TURN OFF ANYTHING THAT IS PLUGGED IN. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE ANYTHING. THE HOUSES ON THE NORTH SIDE … YOUR ELECTRICITY WILL BE SHUT OFF TEMPORARILY SO YOU DON’T HAVE ANY DAMAGE. IF YOU HAVE ANYONE ON LIFE SUPPORT OR OXYGEN…CALL 911 AND TELL THEM TO ALERT US.”

_Any psychic warriors that hear this and are close please go to my SUV. It says K9 Unit on the back windows. I especially want those who have talked to ghosts before._

“DARLENE SAID THE ROBOT IN THE FIRST HOUSE IS TRYING TO PULL POWER FROM THE POND. WE WILL BE DOING THAT FIRST … BACK UP PEOPLE. IF THAT MONSTER STARTS SHOOTING AGAIN, NO ONE IS SAFE.”

As Joey climbed off the camper, Tanner pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket. He stared at the message from his father. _Dillard is on his way in the Humvee. You’re going to need it. Love you. Good luck._

“What is it?” Joey questioned seeing the look on Vin’s face.

“The Commander ordered the Humvee here. Dillard should be arriving shortly.”

-=-=-=-=-

It wouldn’t be until later that night when Vin Tanner and Joey LaFiamma, with family and friends, sat around the Tanner’s new apartment watching the replay on TV that the pair realized what they had done.

-=-=-=-

Vin was the first to notice the Robot’s arm. Then it was high gear. Joey shouted in French, German and Polish. Police officers raced to their cars to retrieve Kevlar vests and weapons. The Humvee appeared, honking through news vans to get to where Joey was pointing. Donning the vests, the two military snipers climbed to the top of the Humvee and took positions.

_Joey. I’ll take the right. Arms first and then the red lights. You take the top red. I’ll take the bottom red._

“Holy crap!” LaFiamma muttered as the shooting machine roared to life behind the collapsed house.

_Only have one chance, Falcon. Arms ….. now!_

Simultaneously, they each aimed for and shot down the arms of the robot as he reloaded. The arms exploded off the mechanical man whose flayed wires twisted and turned.

_Red eyes next… should kill the computer._

_Now!_

“Get off the Humvee now!!” Vin shouted as pieces of shrapnel flew everywhere.

Sitting on the grass behind the Humvee, Joey looked at Vin, saying, “Remind me to say no to the President the next time he calls.”

“Like you could,” Vin laughed.

Then suddenly sixteen people were around them.

“You guys okay?”

“Not hurt, are you?”

“Do you need medics?”

“God, what an awesome shot!”

“You did it! You blew him totally apart! It was awesome!”

Vin looked at Joey, who started to grin, then the two burst out laughing.

-==-=-

While Vin and Dillard checked the Humvee for shrapnel damage, Joey talked to his brother John and Director Cunningham.  Joey discovered that while he and Vin were taking down the robot, Cunningham had been making plans. They would electrocute the pond first because the girl said it had the most fish. The Houston Wildlife Director agreed to finish up the project and keep LaFiamma informed.

John walked Joey back to his vehicle and quietly told him that he’d talked to the girl while everyone was looking at the robot.

“I gave her some names, Joey. Of soldiers that have died that don’t have family. Told her to just call out their names and they would come. Do you think they will?”

“Johnny.  After today, I think anything is possible.”

-=-=-=-

On the way back to the Texas Bond Company, Joey pulled into a Dairy Queen.

“Are we hungry?” Vin chuckled as Joey pulled up his phone.

“Would love a couple of chili dogs and a blizzard. Why don’t you get something while I call the President?”

“You’re on. Haven’t had one of their chili dogs in ages.”

-=-=-=-=-

“Mr. President.”

“ _Captain. You have done an awesome job_.”

“It was a bit hair-raising on our end. Director Cunningham has agreed to finish the project. My brother John had done something similar on a South American mission. Whether they can kill all the fish, no one knows. But the majority should be gone by the end of the month.”

“You can hang up your blues, Joe. Job well done.”

 

THE END

June 30, 2017

Sometime in the future … The Fiamma Squad

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
